From the Reactor
by Ms. Zeal
Summary: COMPLETE! After Meteor, Cloud left to shut down the reactors for good. However, there was more going on than simply gathering Mako energy in the reactor on Mt Nibel. What will Cloud discover about the biological experiments being kept there?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing of importance.

**Chapter 1**

Cloud put the last of the turbo ethers into a bag, rearranging the other items inside to make it all fit. "Someone's gotta shut down all the reactors now that ShinRa is finally gone. And since we no longer have the airship, traveling by chocobo is the fastest way to do that," he said.

Tifa leaned against the doorframe, watching the blonde pack. "We all took for granted how easy it was to travel anywhere we wanted with the Highwind," she agreed. "I don't think I've ever seen Cid that upset. How on earth did those kids get up there unsupervised, anyway?"

"I don't know, but I'm sure the crew were reamed over the coals for that one. Marlene and her friend were lucky that they crashed the wing into that building before they managed to get off the ground. Otherwise, they would have ended up with a lot more than a few scrapes, and their ears ringing from Cid yelling at them," he replied. "What was that other kid's name again?"

"Denzel. His parents were killed when a building collapsed on them, when Meteor came. He's been staying with Elmyra and Marlene since then," she explained. "So, how long do you think you'll be gone? You promised to help me rebuild the bar-- I'm not going to let you get out of it that easily."

Cloud zipped the bag closed, setting it back on the bed as he put his Ultima Weapon in its harness on his back. "I'm not sure. According to Reeve, there were a total of five reactors outside of Midgar. The Fort Condor and Gongaga reactors have both been out of commission for some time and, according to Barret, the people of Corel just sabotaged the reactor up there. So, that leaves only two that are still operational. I'll stop by Junon first and then head over to Nibelheim," he said, carefully not looking at the martial artist as she flinched at the name. Swinging the bag onto his back, he picked up his Buster Sword with his free hand, stepping past her into the hall.

Tifa followed him, a sudden thought occurring to her. "Cloud, do you even know how to shut down the reactors?"

"Nope."

The brunette paused mid-step, staring at the swordsman in surprise. "Then, what are you going to do?"

"Well, I was hoping I could ask Vincent if he knew anything about it, but he disappeared before I got the chance. I'll figure something out. If all else fails, I'll use Barret's method," he replied, unconcerned.

Tifa shook her head, smiling. _Some things never change,_ she thought. The innkeeper greeted them as they left the building, entering the construction zone. It had been decided that a new town would be built on the outskirts of Midgar and the plans for Edge were already well under way. She waved at some of the men already at work. "I gotta go, Cloud. Just be careful, okay?" she said.

The blonde nodded as he continued down the street, raising his hand in farewell, although he didn't look back. "Later, Tifa!"

The martial artist watched him walk away until he was out of sight. _Maybe I should have gone with him..._ Her thought trailed off as a shudder ran down her spine. _No. I can't face Nibelheim again, not yet. Those people probably left now that ShinRa isn't paying them to stay there and cover up what happened five years ago, but I..._ She shook her head, wrapping her arms around herself as she stared at the place Cloud had disappeared. _I can't go back. I watched my father die in my arms, saw my hometown go up in flames, lost everything... And now, the town is still standing, rebuilt almost exactly as it was before, like some sick parody mocking everyone and everything that had been destroyed. I don't know how he can go back there._

. . .

Cloud stood on a hill outside of Midgar, looking back at the huge city. Even in ruins, it was still an impressive sight. He took in the view, carefully studying the terrain around him before giving a sharp nod. _This is the place._ Shifting his grip on the Buster Sword, he drove the tip into the ground, burying the first few inches of the blade into the solid rock at his feet. The blonde stepped back, looking at the huge weapon before nodding again. _It should be alright out here. It'll take two or three strong men to lift it, anyway,_ he thought. "I'm sorry it's taken me so long to come back here, Zack," he said. "It's...been a long two months."

The blonde laughed humorlessly, thinking back over everything that had happened. "Two months. It seems like it's been ages since I last saw you, on this hill. You didn't seem to have any problems whatsoever, while I was practically catatonic. My mind was so messed up afterwards... It took the help of an old friend, plus mako poisoning a second time, as well as falling into the Lifestream to get it all straightened out. I still don't know why you didn't simply leave me and save yourself. You could have easily escaped if you hadn't been burdened with me. You could have even used me as a decoy. But, you stuck with me until the very end, resulting in your death while I survived. I'll stop by and let your parents know what happened-- an abbreviated, and perhaps amended version, at any rate. I don't think they need, or want, to know what really happened in the last five years."

The blonde began walking away before he paused, turning back. "We were friends, Zack. You refused to leave me then and I'm not going to forget you now. I'll live out both our lives. I promise."

. . .

Cloud sighed as he beat another levrikon into submission. _I had forgotten how irritating it is to travel on foot,_ he thought, watching the large bird turn into red mist as it died, dissipating in the breeze. It had been several hours since he had left Midgar, and it seemed like every monster on the plains had been waiting for him to come so they could all die by his blade. Low-level creatures at best, but still a time-consuming annoyance. He was quite happy when he finally reached the Chocobo Ranch.

The swordsman walked into the barn, thinking about which chocobo he was going to ride. Choco Billy was inspecting the large birds while Chole cleaned up the back of the barn.

"Hey, Cloud! What can I do for you today?" the short boy asked, smiling up at the blonde.

"I wanna ride Choco," he replied, looking around the barn. "I'll be gone for a while."

"Your gold chocobo? I'm guessing you have a long distance to travel, then. What happened to your airship?" Billy asked, grabbing a bridle and slipping it on the sea chocobo. "I would think that would be faster. Unless this is a pleasure ride?"

"It's a long story." Cloud paused, noticing one of the other chocobos was missing. "Where's Shadow?"

"Oh, Vincent came by a couple days ago and took her out. She's the only that will let him ride her you know-- all the others are really skittish around him for some reason," the boy replied, leading Choco out of his stable.

The swordsman didn't reply, mounting the sea chocobo. _So, Vincent came by and took out my black chocobo, did he? I wonder where he went...?_ "Thanks, Billy," he said as the boy handed him the reins. Cloud spurred the chocobo into action, heading for the mountains. _It doesn't really matter where Vincent went. He had just as much a hand in raising these chocobos as everybody else, so he's allowed to take them out whenever he wants. Right now, I need to head to Junon and figure out what to do about that undersea reactor. I hope I don't have to use Barret's method on that one._

It was evening by the time they reached Junon. The swordsman climbed off his chocobo outside of the city, taking the bridle off the bird to let it graze. Knowing Choco wouldn't wander too far, Cloud headed into the town.

The streets were deserted, no one to be seen anywhere. The swordsman tensed, warily drawing his weapon as he continued on. A flickering light caught his attention and he looked towards the beach, relaxing a little. The townspeople were standing around a huge bonfire, apparently still celebrating the fact that Meteor was no longer looming over them like a death sentence. Shaking his head, Cloud re-sheathed his sword, continuing down the road. _I'm getting paranoid,_ he thought, coming to a stop in front of the thick steel doors separating the lower and upper levels of the city. Pushing a button to open the doors, he climbed into the elevator and headed up into the higher section of the town.

The swordsman walked down the familiar corridors unmolested as he headed for the reactor. He began to become uneasy as he drew near his destination, noting the lack of monsters and robots that had previously patrolled the hallways. Even the guard dog was gone. Staying alert, he climbed into the elevator that would take him down to the ocean floor.

The platform jerked to a stop and Cloud stepped off, walking down yet another steel hallway before he reached the glass corridor. He stepped through the doorway, lights along each side of the passage flaring to life and illuminating his path. A few curious fish, awakened by the sudden light, could be seen swimming towards the domed corridor to investigate before disappearing back into the darkness once again. The blonde had always hated walking down this hallway. There was just something unnerving about standing on the ocean floor, a thin sheet of glass being the only thing separating you from the water. Taking a deep breath, Cloud started down the corridor.

His footsteps echoed loudly off the glass walls as he followed the lights. Just as in the city, the hall was eerily absent of patrolling monsters. He had never been down here at night before, the darkness of the ocean surrounding him seeming to stretch on forever, the dim light that shined into it serving only to intensify the blackness. It almost seemed as if he would be swallowed by its dark abyss. The blonde shook his head, dismissing such silly thoughts as he strode purposefully down the corridor, pointedly ignoring everything around him. However, he couldn't quite shake the feeling that something was different from the last time he had been here.

Rounding the corner in the path, the first thing Cloud noticed was that the door to the reactor, previously locked, had been ripped off its hinges and was lying on the floor. Deep gashes could be seen in the metal frame where someone-- or some_thing_ --had tried to destroy the lock before removing the door completely. Drawing his sword, the fighter cautiously entered the reactor, still following the glowing bulbs lining the path. Looking around, he realized that the only thing still working seemed to be the lights.

He searched the reactor, ready for some horrendous creature to jump out and attack him at any moment. The real shock, however, came when he reached the control room. That door was also twisted beyond repair, but still hung tenaciously to one hinge. Inside, computer panels had been torn from the walls, bent beyond recognition. Wires covered the floor, having been ripped from the mainframe in haste and then cast aside. Deep claw marks covered the remaining machinery, rendering it all damaged beyond use or repair. In short, the room had been destroyed.

Cloud survey the mess, wondering what could have caused it. _None of the monsters down here could have done this,_ he thought, inspecting the marks. _This almost looks like it was made by a dragon's talon, but that's impossible. Even if there were dragons in the area, it would be too big to fit inside here and I think the townspeople would have noticed. And the damage was done only to this room-- a very focused attack. What could have done this?_

Not being able to glean any answers from the destruction, Cloud continued to search the reactor, but came up empty handed. Deciding that whatever beast had wrecked the control room was long gone, he left the reactor, heading back up to the city. The moon was out, shedding its light on the darkened streets below as he distractedly made his way back to the lower level, pondering what could have happened in the reactor.

Being so wrapped up in his thoughts, he didn't see the figure rushing towards him until she had already latched on to his waist, squeezing him as hard as she could.

"Cloud! I'm so happy to see you!" she said, grinning up at him.

"Priscilla...?" he asked, looking down at the little girl.

She nodded enthusiastically. "I knew you'd come back!" she said, hugging him more tightly than before.

Cloud awkwardly patted her on the back, not sure what else to do.

"Pricilla! I thought I told you to go to bed?" an old man asked, walking up to the pair.

"But grandpa, Cloud's here!" she exclaimed, as if that explained everything. "Can't I stop to talk to my future husband?"

The fisherman peered up at the swordsman, seeing the outline of his spiky hair in the moonlight, as well as the barely discernable glow emitting from his eyes. "So it is Cloud," he agreed, "but that doesn't change anything. You can't get married until you're sixteen, and right now it's way past your bedtime. Go on, off with you."

Pricilla sighed. She released the blonde, stepping back in annoyance. "Alright, grandpa," she said petulantly. Her entire demeanor changed when she turned back to the swordsman, blowing him a kiss. "Goodnight, Cloud!" she said, turning and running down the street.

The fighter watched her disappear into one of the houses. _Save a kid's life and she thinks you're betrothed,_ he thought, scratching the back of his head. _How am I going to get out of this one?_

"Don't worry, I'm sure she'll grow out of it with time," the old man said, guessing the swordsman's thoughts. "But anyway, what brings you here, so late at night?"

"Actually, I came to shut down the reactor for good," Cloud said, remembering his earlier problem.

"Oh? And were you successful?"

"The end result is the same. The reactor cannot be used without some serious maintenance," he replied.

"But?" the fisherman prompted.

"I wasn't the one that destroyed it. Someone or something got there before me. Tell me, have you seen any suspicious people or dangerous looking creatures in town the last few days? There were claw marks all over down there," the swordsman said.

The old man shook his head. "'Fraid I can't help you with that one," he replied. "Town's been full of travelers heading to or from Costa Del Sol. As for animals, they've had chocobos and a few other pets, but..." He shrugged.

Cloud sighed. "Well, whatever it was wasn't in the reactor, and if no one's seen it in town, then I think it's safe to say it's gone. In any case, I need to head over to the eastern continent."

The fisherman looked a little confused. "Boy, that boat don't leave until tomorrow morning."

A small smile tugged at the corners of Cloud's mouth. "I'm not going by boat."

The old man studied the young swordsman for a moment before shaking his head. "Well, regardless of how you're traveling, it's late. Why don't you spend the night with old Chisato, at the edge of town? She's always had a soft spot for you since you saved my Pricilla. In fact, here she comes now. Hey! Chisato!" he called, getting the old woman's attention before Cloud could protest.

Chisato walked over to them, silently asking why they had called her.

"Cloud needs a place to sleep, and I know you got a few extra beds. Would you mind putting him up for the night?" the old man asked.

"I don't mind. Cloud, you and your friends are always welcome at my house, you know that," she replied, leading the way. The swordsman shrugged, following Chisato towards her house.

. . .

**To Be Continued**


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing of importance.

**Chapter 2**

Wanting to get an early start, and not wanting to run into Priscilla again, morning found Cloud on the plains outside of town as the sun was rising. Raising his fingers to his mouth, he let out a shrill, piercing whistle that seemed to cut through the still air. It wasn't too long before a gold chocobo appeared, running towards its master. The blonde stroked the bird's neck as it came to a stop beside him, before putting the bridle around its beak. Hopping on its back, he headed across the ocean.

The trip was dull and uneventful, water as far as the eye could see for hours. It was late afternoon by the time they reached the other continent. Cloud turned south, skirting the desert surrounding Corel Prison, and crossed the river. He stopped outside of a small forest, the remains of a destroyed reactor visible above the treetops. Dismounting his chocobo, he started down the dusty trails into the town.

The swordsman rounded the corner, eyes widening in surprise. Apparently, the previously depressed and resigned residents of the dilapidated little town had had a change of heart. Pieces of scrap metal from the reactor left over from the explosion three years earlier had finally been removed and the people had started to repair the damaged buildings. He walked into the town, noticing that the graveyard was empty—the first time he had seen it as such, with no mourners grieving the passing of their loved ones. The gloomy atmosphere that had smothered the village was gone.

A pit of dread formed in his stomach as he spotted Zack's father. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to put one foot in front of the other, heading towards the man. The blonde stopped a few feet away, waiting until the older man had finished nailing a board to the wall. "Excuse me," he said, drawing the other's attention.

The man looked up, smiling in recognition. "Oh, I remember you. Came by here two or three weeks ago, right?" he asked.

Cloud nodded. "Yes. A lot's changed since then," he commented.

"Yeah. The town's been in kind of a slump for the last three years. Having Meteor looming in the sky made people realize just how important life is, and we shouldn't be wasting it by sitting around, feeling sorry for ourselves. Now that it's gone, everyone decided to start over. We're gonna rebuild the town, better than it was before," he said.

"That sounds like a good plan, uh..."

"I'm sorry, I don't think I ever introduced myself. My name's Zenko. What can I do for ya?"

The blonde hesitated. "I need to talk to you...it's about your son."

The smile fell from the older man's face. "Judging by your grim expression, I'd guess that it isn't good news. Let's go somewhere we can talk in private," he said, leading Cloud back to his house. Once inside, he sat at the table, gesturing for the swordsman to do the same. "What can you tell me about Zack?"

Cloud took a deep breath, his gaze resting on the worn table top. "I...did a little digging and found out that Zack was...involved in the Nibelheim incident five years ago," he began.

"Nibelheim incident? I never heard anything about it," Zenko interrupted.

The swordsman shook his head. "You wouldn't have. The town was burned to the ground, but ShinRa rebuilt it and paid people to live there, posing as the villagers to cover it up. Everyone else involved in it was silenced, one way or another, or just disappeared altogether," the blonde explained, his voice bitter.

"And Zack was one of those people?" the older man guessed.

"Yes. He...tried to help the townspeople, going against orders. For that, he was put in prison." The blonde paused, chewing his bottom lip before continuing. "He...was killed...while attempting to escape a couple of months ago." _Close enough to the truth. I don't think he wants to know that his son was a lab rat for the last five years,_ he thought.

Zenko leaned back in his chair, his gaze resting on the floor. "I always thought that if he hadn't contacted us in this long, something had to be wrong. But, I had hoped..." he trailed off, closing his eyes as he tried to control the emotions welling inside of him.

"I'm...sorry for your loss," the swordsman said softly, staring down at his clenched fists. "I wish I could have done more..." _If I hadn't been so weak, Zack might still be alive. If it hadn't been for me, he would have been able to escape, no problem. If I hadn't been such a burden...It's all my fault..._

The older man shook his head, briefly running a hand across his eyes. "No, I'm grateful for what you've done. You've at least given me some closure. Now is a time for new beginnings, leaving the past behind us and moving on with our lives," he said, seeming to be trying to convince himself more than Cloud.

An awkward silence stretched between them. Finally, the swordsman stood, drawing the older man's attention. "Well, I need to be going," he said, avoiding the other's gaze.

Zenko cleared his throat. "Yes, I should be getting back to work, too. The houses aren't going to build themselves, after all. Thank you for telling me about my son. It's...hard to take, but better than not knowing. I'll...break the news to my wife later."

Cloud nodded, stepping past him and exiting the house. He paused as Zack's father called out to him.

"Wait, you didn't tell me what your name was."

The swordsman glanced back over his shoulder. "...Cloud," he replied. Not wanting to linger, he hurried out of town, whistling for his chocobo as soon as he had left the forest. He mounted the bird, staring back at the destroyed reactor. _That was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. I only pray that I never have to do it again,_ he thought. Shaking his head, he looked up at the sky. _There's no way I can make it to Nibelheim before nightfall,_ he thought, turning his attention back to his surroundings. _Fortunately, Cosmo Canyon isn't too far from here. I can stay the night there and continue on in the morning._ Turning his chocobo around, he continued eastward, heading for the canyon.

The sun dropped below the horizon, its rays shining on the red walls of the canyon, making them look like they were on fire. The blonde reached the town just as the sun disappeared completely. He dismounted his chocobo, looking up the steps that led into the town. He could see the Cosmo Candle burning brightly, as always. The guard at the entrance recognized him, nodding in greeting as he neared the top of the stairs.

"Is Nanaki here?" the blonde asked, stopping on the last step.

"Unfortunately, no. The Elders asked him to do something, although I'm not sure what. He said that he would be gone for several days," the guard stated.

The swordsman nodded, walking into the city. He spent the night at the inn, heading out early the next morning. As he neared his hometown, Cloud noticed Choco was acting a little strangely. He figured out why when he saw a black chocobo running towards them across the plain. "Shadow? What are you doing here?" Cloud asked as the chocobos rubbed their necks together in a greeting. Wondering why Vincent would have come back to Nibelheim, the blonde headed towards the town. The black chocobo followed behind him.

When he reached the village entrance, Cloud dismounted Choco, removing the bridle and watching the two chocobos run off into the plains. Shaking his head, he entered the village, making a beeline for the old ShinRa mansion. If Vincent was anywhere in town, it was probably there.

The blonde pulled out his sword as he entered the building, keeping an eye out for wayward monsters as he headed up to the bedroom on the second floor. A few mirages and jerseys challenged him, but they were dispatched with ease. When he reached the bedroom, he opened the secret passageway, following the winding path down into the basement. Cutting down several black bats, he checked the room where they had found Vincent originally. His coffin was still lying in the middle of the room, its former occupant nowhere to be seen.

Continuing down the hallway, Cloud entered the laboratory. Carefully keeping his eyes off the human-sized glass beakers against the wall, he walked between the rows of bookcases, heading towards the small office at the end. The gunman was holding a piece of paper in his hands, not even bothering to look up as the blonde came near him. "What are you reading, Vincent?" he asked.

In response, the sharpshooter read the paper aloud.

"Escapee Report no. 2

Description of the time of capture. 

A Former member of SOLDIER/Number ( ) 

No effect could be detected from either Mako Radiation Therapy or Jenova on him. 

B Regular/Number ( )

Reaction to Jenova detected." 

Although he had not seen the report before, Cloud knew immediately that it was a report about Zack and himself. His gaze was unwillingly drawn to the glass beaker that had served as his cell for most of the last five years before he averted his eyes, suppressing a shudder.

Vincent did not give any indication whether he noticed the reaction and understood the implications or not, merely setting the paper back into the file and replacing it on the shelf.

"So, what are you doing here?" the swordsman asked, leaving the memories of his captivity within the deepest recesses of his mind.

"Looking for loose ends."

"Loose ends?" Cloud questioned.

The gunman nodded. "Hojo had too many experiments to keep track of them all. I am going through all his files and notes to see which ones still need to be taken care of," he replied, picking up another paper.

"Hm." The swordsman hadn't really considered that. He paused as a piece of the puzzle fell into place. "Vincent, you didn't happen to stop by Junon and take care of the underwater reactor there, did you?" he asked.

"Yes."

"So that was _your_ handiwork. I should have recognized the marks. Galian beast, right?" he asked, leaning against the desk.

"...Yes."

"So, I'm assuming you already took care of this reactor, too?"

"Yes."

Cloud nodded, letting Vincent continue reading the papers. It was a good idea to go through all of Hojo's paperwork to see if there was anything they had missed. Pushing himself off the desk, he headed towards the door, stopping as another thought occurred to him. "Hey, what'd you do with the creatures in the reactor?" he asked.

The dark-haired man looked up from his paper. "What?"

"The creatures in the reactor. You know, the ones kept in the pods. They were being exposed to high levels of condensed mako energy, or something like that. What'd you do with them?" he asked again.

"I wasn't aware those types of experiments were being performed here," he replied, setting the reports aside.

The swordsman shrugged. "Well, I don't know if they are still being used, but I remember Zack telling me about it. They were part of the reason Sephiroth went insane-- he thought that he had been created that way, too," he explained. "But, that was five years ago and a lot has changed since then..."

The ex-Turk looked back at all the files he had gone through. "I haven't found record of any experiments other than those performed in the mansion, but it would still be a good idea to check, just in case. I shut down the reactor two days ago."

"Well, I haven't got anything better to do right now. Let's go," the blonde said. The sharpshooter nodded, following his companion out of the laboratory. "Hey, Vincent? Do you know the story behind the skeletons down here?" Cloud asked, looking at a skeleton that was lying along the base of the wall. "I mean, there's one right here and four in the other coffins in the room we found you in."

"They were Hojo's failed experiments. When he decided they could be of no more use to him, they were locked in that room and left to die. Most lacked the strength to pull themselves out of the coffins. This one managed to get out of the room before he died," he replied, his calm voice betraying no emotion.

"All the failures were left to die, huh? That would have been nice to know two weeks ago."

"Hmph. Your memories were far too muddled for that little bit of information to have made any difference."

Cloud chuckled humorlessly. "You're probably right," he agreed, climbing up the winding path back into the mansion.

Deciding it was probably better to leave the chocobos behind, they headed up Mt. Nibel on foot. Although it was mid-morning, mist still clung to the mountain, its tendrils wrapping around the rock formations almost possessively. The fog grew thicker as they climbed higher, covering the path in front of them and hiding the town below. Despite the seemingly unnatural weather conditions, it didn't take the pair long to reach the reactor.

Walking up to the front of the plant, Cloud noticed the door was still intact. Trying the handle, he found it was unlocked. He entered the building, Vincent following him. The swordsman climbed down the chain passing for a ladder and headed across the catwalk, being careful not to look down into the pure mako energy far below him. Successfully making it to the other side, he walked through the doorway to the back of the reactor, stopping short just inside. "Uh-oh."

Twelve pods filled the room, two rows of three on either side of the staircase leading up to a door with the name 'Jenova' printed above it. All twelve pods had opened, the front half bent down to allow whatever they held out. Not a single creature remained.

The blonde scratched his head, turning to Vincent. The ex-Turk calmly surveyed the room, taking everything in without giving any of his thoughts away.

"Well, I guess we get to go find them, now," Cloud said, looking back over the empty pods. "According to Zack, they really stick out, so I doubt they headed to Rocket Town. We should search the mountains first."

"Indeed. What do you know about these creatures?" the gunman asked, leading the way out.

"Not much, really. They used to be human, but now..."

"Were the ones Zack encountered hostile? Could they be reasoned with? Were they even sane?"

The swordsman shrugged. "I have no idea."

They set off down one of the less traveled paths from the reactor. Being more familiar with the area, Cloud led the way. They explored as many of the intertwining caves that filled the mountains as they could. They searched for hours, not finding so much as a hint of their quarries' passing on the bare rock. The monsters roaming the area, on the other hand, seemed to be plentiful.

A zuu screeched as it dived again, sharp talons aiming for the blonde fighter. It jerked as gunfire echoed through the mountains, the bullets hitting the mark. The giant bird dropped to the ground, flapping one wing uselessly as it tried to get up. The swordsman jumped atop the felled beast, quickly ending its life. Hopping back to the ground as it disappeared into red mist, Cloud looked back towards his companion, eyes widening slightly as he saw a dragon dive off an overhanging ledge. "Vincent, look out!"

The warning came a little too late, the sharp claws ripping through the gunman's shoulder and raking across his back. The ex-Turk fell to his knees, momentarily stunned by the unexpected attack.

The large reptile landed, regaining its balance before it reached forward, intending to impale the injured man. The claw was met with steel, the metallic ring echoing around them as the blonde intercepted the strike. The dragon jumped back, hissing at the interloper.

Cloud shifted into a defensive position, standing protectively in front of Vincent. He looked behind him as a flash of red light caught his attention.

The scaly beast, seeing its prey distracted, darted forward to snap its jaws closed around the swordsman. Its forward progression was halted unexpectedly, two hands griping one fang on the top and bottom of its mouth. An aura of power surrounded Vincent, red swirls of energy engulfing his form as he stopped the dragon in its tracks. The injuries on his shoulder and back closed, healing almost instantly. His red cape split down the middle, forming large, leathery wings on his back. His hair shortened, turning red as it stood up in spikes. He raised his head, yellow eyes glaring at the reptile. He roared, baring his fangs as he threw the dragon back, watching it slam into the mountainside. Gently flapping his wings to rise into the air, he waited for the beast to get up.

The dragon quickly regained its feet, charging at Chaos again. Vincent nimbly evaded, digging his claws into its back and leaving several deep gashes parallel to its spine. The reptile roared in pain, craning its head around as it tried to reach the flying demon. The dragon froze, before falling limply to the side. It was already turning into red mist as Cloud pulled his sword from its chest.

Movement off to the side caught both fighters' attention and they turned to see a blue human-like creature disappear behind the ridge. "Vincent, you'll be able to track it easier from the air. I'll follow you on the ground," the blonde said.

Chaos nodded, flying up into the sky as the swordsman ran up the mountainside. The ex-Turk easily caught sight of the creature, its blue coloring standing out against the gray of the rocks around it. Noticing it kept looking behind to make sure it wasn't being followed, Vincent flew higher, keeping his distance. With any luck, this one would lead them to the other eleven.

. . .

**To Be Continued**

**Author's Note**: New chapters will be posted on Mondays.

Also, if you would like a reply to your review, please leave a signed review or an email address. Thank you.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I own nothing of importance.

**Chapter 3**

Jiro scrambled over the rocks as quickly as he was able, his panting breaths misting in the mountain air. He spared a glance over his shoulder as often as he could to assure himself he wasn't being followed. Although he saw no sign of the two that had so effortlessly killed the dragon, and had no reason to assume he had been spotted, he didn't dare slow down until he had reached the safety of the cave. He had been sent to investigate the odd sounds echoing through the mountains. Gunfire usually meant that ShinRa soldiers were nearby. _But, neither of those two even had a gun,_ he thought, quickly scaling a rocky cliff. _Not that it makes much difference. That blonde was carrying a huge sword and I wouldn't want to have to fight that demon!_ He jumped up to a small outcropping, looking into the cave's entrance. Two beings stood further in, their entire bodies emitting a faint blue light.

"Did you find out what it was?" the first asked.

"Was it ShinRa, as we feared?" the second questioned.

"I think I found them, Masaki, although I'm not sure-- neither of them was carrying a gun," Jiro replied. "And I don't think they are ShinRa. There were only two of them."

"What difference does that make? There were only two members of SOLDIER sent just before the town burned down! Besides, why else would they be so far from the paths through the mountain unless they were looking for us?"

"Unless ShinRa is now hiring demons, I don't think it was them, Kiyotaka," Jiro argued.

"A flying demon with red hair?" Masaki asked abruptly.

Jiro turned to his companion. "How did you know?"

Masaki pointed outside, his eyes alarmed. "I believe he followed you," he said softly, withdrawing deeper into the cave.

Jiro spun, instantly spotting the winged demon flying low over the mountains about fifty yards away, as if looking for lost prey. The creature paused, seeming to sniff the air before his head turned, piercing amber eyes pinning the retreating blue people in place. Suddenly, he flew straight up into the air, disappearing from sight. The three held their breath, hoping he hadn't been able to see them from that distance, but not daring to walk out of the cave to check. Without warning, a man dropped down from above, landing in front of the cave. He was dressed in black, a red cape hugging his shoulders and hiding most of his face. A wicked-looking gauntlet adorned his left arm. The breeze fluttered his cloak, revealing a gun strapped to his right thigh. He did not reach for it, but neither did his hand stray too far from it. He merely observed the blue people, as if waiting for them to make the first move.

"This one wasn't with the other two," Jiro whispered, his voice too soft for the man to hear.

"He has a gun," Kiyotaka pointed out. "He probably hasn't drawn yet because we outnumber him and he's not sure what to make of us, but I think he will recover soon. We should attack first."

"Don't be brash," Masaki replied. "That's a good way to get yourself killed. If he's made it this far, he obviously knows how to use his gun and I doubt our appearance would gain us all that much time."

Jiro edged closer to the other two, never taking his eyes off the gunman. "So, what do we do?"

. . .

Cloud did his best to trail Chaos, jumping from ledge to ledge, following the ex-Turk through the mountains. After a few minutes, he watched his teammate descend, seeming to have lost sight of their target. The swordsman didn't have time to ponder the sharpshooter's actions, however, as a large zuu swooped towards him.

Quickly drawing his sword, the fighter blocked the sharp talons aiming for him, managing to get a slice across the bird's underside as it flew by. Not giving it a chance to recover, Cloud jumped up, neatly decapitating it in one slash. It was already turning into mist before it had time to cry out.

Keeping his blade out in case of another attack, the blonde tried to locate his ally again. He spotted Vincent standing on a small outcropping, looking into one of the many caves throughout the mountains. He hurried on, landing next to the dark-haired man. "What's up, Vincent? Why'd you-- oh! You found them!" Cloud exclaimed, catching sight of the wary creatures standing a few feet in front of him.

"Put your sword away, Cloud," Vincent advised, not wanting to provoke the blue creatures.

"Oh! Right," the blonde replied, quickly sheathing his huge weapon.

"Cloud?" one of the creatures questioned, stepping forward. "So it is you. You seem to have recovered from your injury very quickly indeed."

The swordsman's brow furrowed in confusion. "My injury? What are you talking about?"

"The last I saw of you, you were being carried on a stretcher into the old ShinRa mansion, a hole in your gut. Didn't even look like you were alive, boy," the person said, looking Cloud up and down.

"Carried into...you mean, when the town burned down?" the blonde asked, his eyes widening. "You were there?!"

"Of course we were there! It was our home!" one of the others piped up.

"Home? You mean, you are survivors of the town? You all lived in Nibelheim?!" Cloud asked anxiously, stepping into the cave.

The third blue person edged back. "Don't trust him, Masaki," he said, watching the blonde carefully.

"Masaki? Old man Masaki-- you used to run the inn, right?" the swordsman asked.

The first one nodded. "Yes, I did," he affirmed.

"Tell me, how many were there? How many people survived the fire?!" Cloud demanded.

Masaki studied him coolly before replying. "Twenty-four were selected. Twelve were led up to the reactor," he answered.

"Selected? What do you mean by that?" the fighter asked.

"Everyone was rounded up by the soldiers. We were 'hand-picked' by a dark-haired man wearing glasses and a white lab coat. The others were killed on the spot."

"What?!" Cloud asked incredulously. His fists were clenched tightly and he closed his eyes, taking a calming breath to help curb his anger. "And what happened to the other group?" he asked after a moment.

Masaki shrugged. "Couldn't say. They were taken into the mansion behind you."

The blonde turned to his companion. "Vincent, were there any reports indicating what happened to them?" he asked urgently.

The gunman hesitated. "The Jenova Reunion Project," he answered quietly.

"Jenova Reu...you mean, those men in black capes? They were...?" Cloud's voice trailed off, rage building inside him. He turned, smashing his fist into the side of the cave as hard as he could, cursing loudly. A few rocks fell down from the ceiling from the force of the impact. _It was one thing to think that everyone was killed by either Sephiroth or the fire, but knowing that ShinRa executed them and experimented on the rest..._ "Hojo didn't suffer nearly enough before he died," the swordsman breathed, pure hatred coloring his tone.

Three sets of faintly glowing blue eyes watched the blonde, not quite sure what to make of his reaction. "What did you think happened? I mean, they must have told you something..." one of the beings said.

"Don't believe him, Jiro! He's one of them! He even admitted they were looking for us! We can't trust either of them!" the third said. "We all saw him taken into the mansion and now he's here looking as normal as ever, without a mark on him! They take care of their own!"

Cloud laughed humorlessly. "Not all experiments alter your outward appearance," he stated, withdrawing his hand from the crater he had made in the solid rock wall. "I haven't been free for the last five years, either."

"Five years? What are you talking about? You only left Nibelheim two years ago," Masaki said.

The swordsman looked up. "Two years...? How long do you think it's been since the fire?" he asked.

"The town was burned down several days ago," Jiro replied, looking at the blonde oddly.

"Cloud," Vincent spoke up, "I believe that their minds may have shut down as a defense mechanism when they were exposed to such a high level of mako energy, much the same way yours did when you contracted mako poisoning. As I recall, you were disoriented after recovering from that, as well."

The swordsman nodded distractedly. "It's...been five years," he stated. "Five years since Nibelheim was burned to the ground."

"I don't believe that," Masaki said. "I want proof."

"Just look at yourselves. Do you think that could have been done in a matter of days?" the blonde asked.

"You need a more solid argument than that."

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to agree with Kiyotaka on this one, Cloud," Jiro said apologetically. "I just can't believe that five years have passed."

The fighter paused, thinking of how he could convince them. "You want proof? Alright. The town was burned down-- you all saw this, yes?" When all three nodded, he continued. "ShinRa rebuilt it, almost exactly as it was before. They paid people to live there and act like the residents, covering up the incident with Sephiroth. There is no way ShinRa, no matter how many people they hired, could have done that in a couple days. All you have to do is go down to the town to see that I'm telling the truth."

"It's a trick," Kiyotaka said, eyeing the blonde suspiciously. "He's trying to lure us down there so we can become lab rats again. I'll bet his buddies in ShinRa are down there waiting for us. That's why they sent you, isn't it Cloud? Because they thought we'd trust you since you used to live here."

"It's no trick," Cloud assured them. "You don't even have to enter the village-- just go far enough to see that it is there. You'd probably freak out all of ShinRa's employees if you entered the town, anyway."

"Not likely," the ex-Turk said. "As soon as ShinRa was destroyed, everyone left. The village is abandoned."

"ShinRa has been destroyed?" Jiro asked, surprised.

"Yeah, that's why Vincent shut down the reactor a couple days ago," Cloud explained.

"Alright," Masaki said. "Jiro, you are going to go down to the town with them. If it is as he says, come back tomorrow and tell us. You know where to meet."

Jiro nodded in understanding, watching Masaki and Kiyotaka walk further into the cave until they disappeared into the darkness. Turning, he followed the swordsman outside.

Cloud paused, finally being able to get a good look at the man. His hair fell in metallic waves down his back, the navy strands looking like liquid when he moved. His clothing had lost its original coloring long ago, adopting an indigo hue instead. The altered garments shimmered in the sunlight. His skin was an icy blue, reminding the swordsman of Shiva. _Except that he looks like he's literally made of materia,_ he thought, noticing Jiro's breath misted in the mountain air, although it was not overly cold. The blonde couldn't help but wonder if his old acquaintance would be cold to the touch. Clear, sapphire eyes looked at him questioningly and Cloud shook off such thoughts for a more appropriate time. "Let's go," he said, hopping lightly off the outcropping.

Vincent followed suit, leaving Jiro to find a safer path down the cliff. "Those two are insane," he muttered, watching as they both miraculously managed to land further down the mountainside without killing themselves. He shook his head, beginning his much slower descent. "If nothing else, this should make for an interesting trip."

The journey was much easier once they reached the trails. The gunman walked in front, keeping an eye out for wayward monsters while the two former residents of Nibelheim talked.

"You and Kiyotaka were both friends of Tifa's, right?" Cloud asked.

"Yeah. And you were always following us around everywhere we went."

Cloud nodded. "Yeah. So, what's wrong with Kiyotaka? I know it's been a while, but I don't recall him disliking me this much before I left."

Jiro chuckled. "He's just jealous."

"Jealous?"

"Yep. I don't know what, if anything, happened between the two of you, but after you left, you were all Tifa would talk about. Kiyotaka, who had had a crush on Tifa for years, was really upset by this," the blue man explained.

The blonde stopped in surprise. "She talked about me...?"

"Yeah. Kiyotaka had even managed to get Tifa to agree to go on a date with him, but she heard that people from SOLDIER would be arriving that day and blew him off in favor of waiting for you at the entrance of town," he said, grinning. The smile fell from his face as he looked at Cloud. "You never showed, though."

The swordsman scratched the back of his head as he started walking again, quickening his pace to catch up with Vincent who had stopped to wait for them. "Yeah, I know. I was there, but I was too ashamed to show my face. I never made it to SOLDIER," he explained.

"You'll never know how disappointed she was that you didn't show."

"Yeah, I do. She told me," the blonde replied.

Jiro grabbed Cloud's shoulder, turning the swordsman to look at him. "What do you mean Tifa told you? She wasn't with the other townspeople when ShinRa gathered everyone up, so we assumed that she had been killed before that, either by the fire, Sephiroth, or for resisting."

"No, she wasn't. She followed Sephiroth to the reactor and was severely injured. Zangan got her out before ShinRa came. She's living in Midgar right now-- or at least, what's left of it," he explained, noticing the cold seeping through his clothing where Jiro was touching him. _Hm, I guess they really are cold to the touch,_ he noted.

"She's alive," the blue man repeated, closing his eyes as a smile spread over his face. "She's alive!"

Cloud looked ahead, noticing the ex-Turk had stopped again and was watching them expectantly. "C'mon," he said, pulling Jiro along. "I think Vincent is getting tired of waiting for us."

. . .

**To Be Continued**

**Author's Note**: New chapters will be posted on Mondays.

Also, if you would like a reply to your review, please leave a signed review or an email address. Thank you.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I own nothing of importance.

**Chapter 4**

After the several more hours of walking, the clouds parted, allowing a clear view of the town. Jiro stared at the buildings, shock written all over his face. "No... That can't be..." he whispered. Without warning, he took off running down the rocky trail, heading for the town.

"Wait!" Cloud yelled, hurrying after him.

The icy man ignored his companions, feeling only the need to verify the existence of the town with his own hands. _It has to be an illusion! I saw the town burn to the ground not four days ago! There's no way five years could have passed! No, I won't believe it until I enter the town myself!_ A quick succession of gunfire made him freeze, halting his flight. _Warning shots. Was this really just a trap?_ he wondered, slowly turning to look at the dark-haired man. Vincent had his gun out, a thin trail of smoke rising from the barrel as he stared emotionlessly at blue being. Several thumps made Jiro turn back around, eyes widening slightly. Three insects the size of tigers lay on the ground in front of him, twitching spasmodically before they all lay still, disappearing into a red mist.

"What were you thinking? You know how dangerous it is to travel by yourself here!" the swordsman scolded him, finally catching up. "Those kyuvidunis were sitting on the ledge up there, waiting to jump on you! You're lucky Vincent's such a good shot!"

"I-I'm sorry, Cloud," he apologized, stuttering as he struggled to get his turbulent emotions under control. "But..." He gestured to the town. "It's just so hard to believe! I know you told us that five years have passed, but I can't accept that. I have to go down there and see for myself!"

"So we'll go, it's not a big deal. In case you hadn't noticed, the monster population up here has increased in the last few years," the blonde said as the gunman caught up with them. "I'm sure you have ways of avoiding the monsters, I mean, you all made it to that cave alright, but you can't just make a mad dash down the trails. You're asking for an attack."

Jiro nodded, chagrinned. "I know. I just couldn't help myself," he replied, his eyes straying once more to the peaceful-looking village below. He could remember the intense heat of the flames as his house collapsed just as he got out, trapping the rest of his family inside. He could still hear their screams echoing in his mind. Shaking his head to clear it of such dark memories, he turned back to his companions. "Let's go."

It didn't take them long to reach the reconstructed town. Cloud and Vincent hung back, letting the cold man explore the deserted village. He did so, touching the walls every now and then to make sure they were real as he wandered from house to house. Although he searched the entire town, top to bottom, he did not find a single soul. He paused when he came to his house, resting his hand on the doorknob. Steeling himself, he took a deep breath and walked inside.

Jiro looked around the room, noting that all the furniture was exactly as he remembered. All the personal effects, on the other hand, were missing. The family photos were gone from the walls, his younger sister's school project was no longer a top the TV, his father's prized dragon fang necklace was missing from the desk. He moved to the kitchen doorway, eyes inspecting the wooden frame where his mother had carved their initials and ages next to marks that showed how tall they were at the time. The wood was smooth, a few scuff marks here and there, but not a scratch on it otherwise. He wandered throughout the house, realizing that this familiar sanctuary had suddenly become alien territory to him. It was not his home.

Cloud and Vincent were sitting by the well as the sun began to sink below the horizon when Jiro finished. He approached them slowly, his head down. "It is as you say," he stated softly. "This is no longer our town."

The blonde nodded, looking at one of the buildings. In his mind's eye, he saw it consumed in flames, the roof already having collapsed in on it. But, here it was, standing as if nothing had happened. "It's hard take in, isn't it?" he replied knowingly.

Jiro nodded. "I didn't want to believe what you said," he admitted. His eyes wandered over all the unmarred houses. "But now..." He trailed off, shaking his head. "What are we supposed to do?"

"Take it back."

Cloud and Jiro both turned to look at the gunman. "What?" the blue man asked, confusion coloring his tone.

"Take it back," Vincent repeated. "ShinRa took your homes from you and burned them to the ground. They took your humanity from you and locked you in a reactor to be their guinea pigs. They rebuilt the town and hired people to cover up what actually happened here. However, ShinRa is destroyed, the reactor is shut down and the town is abandoned. Take it back and make it yours. It was your home once. You can make so again."

There was a pause before Jiro nodded resolutely. "You're right," he said, looking around once more. "What with the reactor and all, ShinRa has dictated most of my life. Not anymore. They took my home from me, but they also built me a new one. I don't care if I do look like a freak- nothing is going to drive me out from my home. I don't know about the others but I'm staying here. Oh, the others! I forgot!" he exclaimed, running back towards the mountain.

"Wait! They said they weren't going to meet us until tomorrow!" Cloud called out, both he and Vincent chasing after the blue man.

Jiro stopped at the edge of town, raising his fingers to his lips. He let out three short whistles in quick succession followed by a long one as the fighters came to a stop beside him. The blonde's eyes widened in recognition and understanding. "Hunting whistles? Don't tell me-" He stopped mid-sentence as he heard an answering call. He shook his head, grinning at the sharpshooter. "They were waiting not too far out of town for Jiro to give the signal that it was all clear. Apparently, they're not as untrusting as we thought," he explained.

"We should go meet them, to insure they don't have any problems with the monsters," Vincent suggested. Cloud nodded, starting back up the trail.

It didn't take long for them to run across the group heading towards the town. Masaki and Kiyotaka were there, as well as three other adults- women, judging by their clothing. Kiyotaka and the women were all carrying a child, two older children walking along side them. One of the women stopped when she saw the trio heading towards them. She hastily set the child she was holding on the ground and hurried towards the smaller group.

"Cloud? Oh, Cloud, it _is_ you!" she cried, running forward and throwing her arms around the stunned swordsman. "I was so worried when I saw you being carried into the mansion! I was afraid that you had died!"

The blonde stood there, trying to overcome his shock as her familiar voice registered in his mind. "Mom...?" he asked quietly, not daring to hope it might be her.

She pulled back, holding him at arms length. "What's the matter? You can't recognize your own mother anymore?" she asked, smiling teasingly.

The blonde studied her, scarcely believing it could really be her. Her hair, normally in a high ponytail, was loose, flowing past her shoulders and down her back, shimmering in the fading light as she moved. The lines of worry and age around her eyes and mouth had been smoothed out, giving her a very youthful appearance. The blue skin had made her unrecognizable at a glance, but now there was no mistaking the familiar features. "Mom!" he cried, wrapping his arms around her and crushing her against his chest. "I missed you so much," he whispered, tears stinging his eyes.

She returned the embrace, holding him just as tightly. "I was so worried about you, my son," she replied, closing her eyes as she saw him being carried through the town on a stretcher in her mind's eye. She shook her head, banishing the memory. "But it doesn't matter. All that matters now is that you're safe and we're together again," she replied, rubbing his trembling back soothingly. He nodded, not trusting his voice enough to speak at the moment.

It took a few seconds for Skye to realize that her son was shivering uncontrollably. She could feel the heat radiating off of his body and knew that she was the one taking it from him. She closed her eyes, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall. _I can't even hold my own son,_ she thought, pulling away. He refused to let go, tightening his arms around her almost possessively.

"Just a little longer," he whispered, hoarsely. "I thought you were dead."

"That's enough, Cloud," she said, her voice thick with emotion. Reluctantly, he let her go. Her heart clenched when she saw the pain and confusion in his eyes. "I'm sorry, dear. You're freezing."

"I don't care! You're my mom," he replied.

"And you're my son and I don't want to hurt you. It's enough that we are together again," she replied, smiling weakly. She looked around, noticing for the first time that they were alone. "Where did everyone else go?" she asked, changing to a less painful subject.

The blonde looked around, not having realized everyone else had left. "Vincent must have taken them on ahead," he guessed. "He's not real big on tearful reunions."

"Clearly, he hasn't been unwillingly separated from his family before," Skye replied.

"Vincent...has a difficult past," the swordsman stated. He shook his head. "I guess we should be going, too. It's almost dark," he said, looking towards the horizon. The sun had disappeared behind the mountains and a few stars were already visible in the twilight sky. His mother nodded and they headed back down the trail together.

"So, who was in your house?" the blonde asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Hm?"

"That night. After Sephiroth lost it and set the town on fire. I ran home to see if you were all right, but when I got there I found a badly burned body pinned underneath a fallen beam. I thought it was you," he admitted quietly.

"Oh. That must have been Mutsumi," she replied sadly. "I had invited her over, but my errands took a bit longer than expected. I guess she let herself in and was waiting for me to come back. When I didn't see her among all the other townsfolk after the soldiers gathered us up, I had hoped she'd gotten away."

They walked in silence for a few minutes more before Skye spoke up. "So, Masaki tells me that, according to you, it's been five years since the town burned down." Cloud nodded and she continued. "What have you been doing? Do you have a girlfriend? You've become such a handsome young man, I'll bet the girls never leave you alone!" she said, teasingly.

"Not really," Cloud replied, a smile coming to his face as remembered having this almost exact same conversation five years ago.

"Not really? And just what is that supposed to mean? Five years and you still haven't settled down? Is there something you're not telling me, son?" she asked, a mischievous gleam in her eye.

"It's not like that, mom," he replied, keeping his eyes on the trail ahead of him. "I was...kept in the basement of the old mansion for the last five years, me and Zack both," he explained.

"Zack? You mean that young man from SOLDIER who came with Sephiroth?" she asked.

"Yeah, that's him. Anyway, he finally managed to escape, dragging me along with him. I'm not exactly sure how long it took us to get to Midgar. He was killed within sight of the city and I..." The swordsman laughed bitterly. "I was in a pathetic state and they didn't think I'd last much longer, anyway. So, they left me for dead."

"Oh, Cloud..."

The blonde scratched the back of his head, looking a little embarrassed. "I guess you didn't really want to hear that, huh mom?" he asked. He repressed a shiver as an icy arm snaked its way around his shoulders.

"No parent wants to see their child suffer. But, it's still hard to accept that I am unable to protect you from the world. You've had to endure so much," she said, laying her head on his shoulder.

He shrugged, nonchalant. "It's not that bad," he replied, putting his arm around her, as well. _It's nothing compared to what you and the rest of the townspeople are going to go through trying to adjust and pick up your lives where they left off,_ he thought grimly.

It was dark by the time they reached the town. The full moon hung just above the horizon, it's pale light illuminating the town. Skye paused, her wide eyes reflecting the moonlight. "So it is here," she breathed, her steps unhurried as she entered the town. She spun in a slow circle, looking at all the houses. "They rebuilt it exactly as it was." A sound caught her attention and she turned, spotting the rest of the glowing residents. They were standing in a group, Kiyotaka and Masaki staring at the buildings in a mixture of shock and disbelief. Several of the children were sniffling, the two women kneeling on the ground trying to comfort them, tears shining in their eyes.

Skye walked over to the group, Cloud following behind her. Masaki nodded to them as they approached. "It's still hard to believe, even with the evidence right before my very eyes. This house, for example," he said, resting his hand on the doorway. "My sweet Naomi was trapped inside as it burned down, naught but embers remaining. Yet, here is it, study as the day it was built." He closed his eyes, picturing his wife standing near the second story window, calling for help, before the fire pushed her back. "A great many ghosts haunt the buildings in this town."

"What sort of sick joke is this?" Kiyotaka demanded. "They destroy our lives and turn us into lab rats, then rebuild the town and act like nothing happened?"

"Zangan said this would happened," one of the women said.

"No, Ikuyo, he said that he didn't trust Sephiroth and he figured ShinRa would be by to cover up whatever happened because of him, to avoid embarrassment to the company. I don't think he expected anything like this, though..." The second woman trailed off, her eyes roaming around the town again.

"Be that as it may, Tsuki, I think we would have all been better off if we had headed his warning," Masaki replied.

"What difference would that have made? The strong men of the village tried to fight Sephiroth- he brushed them aside like flies, impaled on his sword. ShinRa came, all who fought were killed on the spot and the rest of the town led like sheep to the slaughter while the 'lucky ones' were turned into guinea pigs for that mad scientists experiments!" Kiyotaka said heatedly. "Either way, everyone would have still be killed," he continued bitterly.

"We can't change what happened in the past," Jiro said, speaking up for the first time. "But, that doesn't mean we have to give up, either. The town is still here."

"Except that it's no longer home."

"Oh, fiddlesticks," Skye said derisively, drawing everyone's attention. "The way I see it, Sephiroth burned our homes to the ground and ShinRa rebuilt them for us. It took me a few years to get back to it, but this is still my home. I'm not gonna let anyone take that away from me," she stated matter-of-factly.

"I agree," Masaki said. "Even if there were somewhere else for us to go, this is our home. If we let what ShinRa did drive us out, it would be one more victory for them. How can we move on with our lives if we run from our past?"

Skye nodded. "Life isn't always easy, but you need to make the most of it. Too many people let themselves get so caught up in self-pity that they never see what they've got right in front of them. Sure, I'm now some mutated lab experiment, but personally, I always thought I looked good in blue."

Cloud couldn't help but chuckle. "Mom, you haven't changed at all," he said. "You just take life as it comes. Nothing ever gets you down."

"Oh, I wouldn't go so far as to say that," she replied, her expression falling slightly as her eyes adopted a far away look. It was gone as quickly as it had come and she stood a little straighter, squaring her shoulders. "But, enough talk. It's late and I'm looking forward to sleeping in a bed again," she said, leading her son towards her house. "Those pod-thingies just weren't comfortable at all."

. . .

**To Be Continued**

**Author's Note**: New chapters will be posted on Mondays.

Also, if you would like a reply to your review, please leave a signed review or an email address. Thank you.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I own nothing of importance.

**Chapter 5**

Cloud woke up, stretching before turning his head to glance out the window. The first rays of the rising sun were visible in the sky. Knowing he wouldn't be able to get anymore sleep, he slid out of bed, stretching again. Noticing his mother rummaging through the cupboards above the sink, he walked over to her, softly padding across the floor. "Mom?"

Skye screamed, spinning around with one hand on her chest. "Oh, Cloud! You startled me," she said, breathing more heavily than normal. "You used to sleep in so late- I didn't think you'd be up this early."

"Mom, what are you doing?" he asked.

"Looking for the blender," she replied. "There is absolutely no organization to this kitchen whatsoever. I have looked everywhere I would put it."

"No, mom, I mean what are you doing up this early? The sun hasn't even fully risen yet."

"Oh. I, uh I- I wasn't tired, that's all," she said, turning away from him. "Are you hungry? Whoever lived here left all the food behind. None of it's gone bad, yet."

He looked out the window, noticing that theirs wasn't the only house with the lights on. He sighed, guessing why everyone seemed to be plagued with insomnia. "Mom..."

"So, what'll it be? Scrambled eggs? Pancakes? I think I even saw some oatmeal in here somewhere..."

"Mom." He put his hand on her shoulder, gently turning her towards him. "Is it the house? Does it really bother you that much being here? 'Cause if it does, I'm sure the others wouldn't mind you moving into one of the empty homes."

Skye sighed. "It's not that, Cloud," she said, her gaze resting on the wall. "I meant what I said last night. This is my house. It's just- everything is still so new and different... it just takes time to adjust to the change, that's all."

"Are you sure?" he asked, turning her head so she was forced to look into his eyes. "Are you sure you're okay with this?"

"Yes, I'll be fine. You worry too much," she continued, smiling as she lightly pinched the tip of his nose. "You always have. In case you've forgotten, I'm supposed to be the one concerned about you. You're still not eating right, are you?" she asked, looking him up and down critically.

"I'm alright," he answered.

"So you say," she replied skeptically.

"Mom..."

"Alright, alright. I'll drop it," she said, setting a skillet on the stove and retrieving the eggs from the refrigerator. "By the way, what happened to that friend of yours? You know, the one with the red cape?"

"Vincent? I saw him following Masaki last night- probably spent the night at the inn. Either that or the mansion," he replied.

"The old ShinRa mansion? No one in their right mind would want to stay there! Why do you say that?" she asked, glancing at him over her shoulder.

The blonde scratched the back of his head. "It's...complicated," he said.

"Too complicated for someone as old as me to understand, right?" she asked, setting the plates on the table. "Young people these days... You really do make life more complicated than it has to be."

Cloud ducked his head, hiding his smile. Although his mother was completely off track, it sounded funny hearing her refer to Vincent as being young. Although he didn't look it, the ex-Turk was quite possibly older than she was.

"What's so funny?" she asked suspiciously.

"Nothing mom. Mm, this smells delicious," he replied.

Shrugging, she turned back to the stove and began fixing herself a plate. "Eat up before it gets cold. There's plenty more, if you're still hungry."

. . .

Cloud walked down the street, noticing the overall somber atmosphere of the town. The children playing outside were somewhat subdued, having picked up on the adults' moods. _I always thought of Nibelheim as a quiet little town, but... I never realized how loud it actually was. I suppose that's to be expected when you reduce the population to twelve,_ he thought, wandering aimlessly down the silent streets. The dull clang of metal against metal caught his attention and he looked towards the source, realizing he was near the blacksmith shop. Having nothing better to do, he peeked inside.

Jiro was standing near the back of the shop, looking at a sword critically. He shook his head and swung it experimentally a few times. "No good, the balance is way off. What kind of idiot was working here..." he muttered, tossing the blade into a growing pile of weapons on the floor behind him. He picked up a lance, looking down the metal shaft. "At least it's straight. Of course, this one has such a simple design, it's hard to mess up, even for an amateur..." He twirled the javelin in his hand, jabbing at imaginary objects. "Balance could be better, though. Still, that's one salvageable weapon..." He leaned the spear against the wall, away from the other questionable items.

"So, you continued your apprenticeship under your father, after all," Cloud said.

Jiro jumped, almost dropping the dagger he had just picked up. He spun around, spotting the blonde behind him. "Oh, Cloud! I didn't hear you come in," he said, setting the knife on the counter. "I was just going through this junk to see if there was anything worth saving," he explained, gesturing to the weapons displayed on the walls. "It's gonna take a while for me to make these into high quality anything, though. I'm not sure that whoever was working here even knew how to use a hammer correctly."

"Sounds like you've got your work cut out for you."

The blue man shrugged. "It's something to do, anyway. I suppose we only really need a few weapons for the town. I can make Masaki and Kiyotaka whatever they want and it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to teach the women how to use a crossbow at the very least, but other than that there's not really much use for any of this. It's not exactly like we'll have people to sell them to," he said, staring at the cold forge. "But, somehow, it just doesn't feel right for me to abandon the shop. I feel like... I have to keep going, keep myself busy. If I don't..." His voice trailed off as he shook his head.

The swordsman nodded in understanding. "Sorry for disturbing you," he said, turning to go.

"Wait!"

The blonde paused, noting the odd tone in Jiro's voice.

"I...need to talk to you. About Tifa," the icy being said, hesitantly.

"What about her?"

"Well, I don't think you should tell her about, you know, everyone. What happened to us, or that we are living here. I mean, you said that she's moved on with her live and is living happily somewhere. I just don't think she needs all this to drag her down. You said she came through here, right?" he asked.

"Yeah, we passed through Nibelheim not too long ago."

"And she really had hard time, didn't she?"

The blonde nodded. "She tried not to show it and acted like it didn't bother her, but I could tell."

Jiro smiled, leaning against the well. "Sounds like her. Always acting tough. I just- I can't ask her to come back here. It's different for us. We don't have anywhere else we can go at this point, even if we wanted to. But, for her... I just think she would be happier not knowing."

The swordsman studied the glowing man, easily reading between the lines. _You do care about Tifa, but you also don't want her to see you like this,_ he thought. _However, I do agree with you. She has managed to move on with her life, overcoming a difficult past, which is not an easy thing to do. She doesn't need anyone pulling old skeletons out of the closet now._ "I think-"

"Kishi? Kishi, where are you?" Ikuyo opened the door of the shop, her eyes landing on the men. "Please, have either of you seen my little girl?" she asked.

"No, I haven't seen her," Jiro replied, shaking his head.

"Oh, where could she be?" The woman went back outside, still calling for her child. "Kishi!"

"Mama! I saw her going that way!" one of the children outside piped up, pointing down the street towards the entrance of the town. "I told her she would get in trouble, but she didn't listen!"

"Oh, no!" Ikuyo cried, covering her mouth with her hands.

"Don't worry, we'll find her," Cloud assured her. "Jiro, go find Vincent, Masaki and Kiyotaka. Have them take their weapon of choice and split up to search the plains."

The blue man nodded, running towards the inn, while the swordsman headed out of town. He hoped the little girl hadn't wandered too far.

. . .

Kishi ran as fast as she could, the bunch of flowers she had gathered discarded long ago. Her panting breaths misted in the warm air as she desperately tried to get away from her pursuers. A rock, hidden by the grass, caught her foot and she fell to the ground. Scrambling back to her feet, she took off again, screaming as she felt a strong grip on her arm.

"It feels like ice!" the man holding her said, readjusting his grip as she squirmed, trying to get away. "I've never seen anything like it!"

"No," his companion agreed, looking at the child. "We've been down on our luck for a while, but this might just be the lucky break we need. There's a guy at the Golden Saucer that collects rare things. We could sell it and make a fortune!"

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that."

Both men looked up, startled by the newcomer's sudden arrival. He was dressed in black, a long red cape fluttering slightly in the wind. His right hand hovered near a gun strapped to his thigh while his left was sheathed in a golden gauntlet, the sharp claws tipping his fingers slightly curled. He studied the men emotionlessly.

"Vincent!" Kishi cried, recognizing the gunman from the night before and doubling her struggles to get away. The man holding her swore, having difficulties holding on to the icy creature as his hands started to go numb. She managed to break his grip, running forward and hiding behind the ex-Turk, peeking out around his leg. He quickly pushed her completely behind him as the second man drew a gun.

"I have no quarrel with you, but that thing is ours. Hand it over and I won't kill you," he said, leveling the gun at Vincent.

"Wait a minute, Kafu," the first man said, his eyes wide. "Taking that creature is one thing, but murdering someone-"

"Shut up, Mito!" the second yelled angrily. "We finally got our big break and I'm not going to allow him to take it away from us! If he does what I say, then he won't be hurt. If not..." Kafu let the sentence trail off, his intent clear in his eyes.

The sharpshooter regarded him coolly, his expression revealing none of his thoughts. His right hand hovered near his weapon, waiting for an opening. "I can't let you take her," he repeated, carefully watching the men.

"Well, that's too bad," Kafu replied, squeezing the trigger. Kishi screamed as the gun fired, the ex-Turk taking a step back to steady himself as blood blossomed from the new hole in his chest.

"You, you _killed_ him... You actually KILLED him! I-I can't believe it! You **KILLED** him! Now, you're going to be wanted for murder! And I'm an accomplice!" Mito exclaimed, his hands clutching his head as he stared at his friend. "You've doomed us! We're criminals! Everyone's going to be coming after us now! We're going to be thrown in prison and then-"

"_Shut up, Mito!_" Kafu yelled. "No one will know what we did! We'll leave him here, take the creature and sell it to Dio, and then we'll head over to the other continent! No one will know it was us!"

"It-won't be-that easy," Vincent gasped, one hand clutching the wound. He raised his head, ruby eyes meeting and holding their gazes. "You should not have done that," he whispered ominously.

"You're hardly in a position to tell us what we can and...can't...do..." Kafu trailed off as red wind began to swirl around the injured interloper. The dark-haired man fell to his knees, the odd wind completely hiding him from sight for a moment. It disappeared as quickly as it had come, leaving a demon behind. The creature rose to his full height, stretching his bat-like wings out behind him. Flapping them a few times, he hovered a foot or two above the soil. The little girl cowered on the ground behind him, whimpering in fear.

"I told you we shouldn't have killed him," Mito whispered, unable to tear his eyes off the fiend.

Kafu, on the other hand, wasn't ready to give up yet. "Die, you monster!" he yelled, emptying his clip into the demon. He continued to pull the trigger, uselessly, after he had run out of ammunition.

Chaos' body jerked with every bullet, but he remained airborne. When the shooting stopped, he smiled, showing his fangs as a thin trail of blood ran down from the corner of his mouth. The crimson liquid oozed out of his many wounds, staining his clothing and dripping onto the ground below him, although he didn't seem to be affected by this in the least. He raised his head, glowing amber eyes boring into the men's frightened gazes. "Foolish mortals," he growled, his deep voice seeming to reverberate in the very air around them. "There is no weapon you can wield that is capable of destroying me. I. Am. Chaos." He flapped his wings to rise higher into the air, looking down on the frightened men. "And you vermin have incurred my wrath."

Mito couldn't take any more. He grabbed Kafu, dragging him along as he ran for all he was worth, not daring to look back for fear of finding the very demons of Hell nipping at his heels.

"Vincent!"

The winged creature did not turn around at Cloud's voice, continuing to watch until the two men were out of sight. He gently landed back on the ground, listening to the blonde's running steps as he drew near from behind. His pace slowed to a walk as he approached the demon.

"What happened? Did you find-whoa!" the swordsman exclaimed as Kishi, previously hidden from sight in the tall grass, latched on to his waist as he passed.

"Cloud!" she cried, burying her face in his pants. "Those bad men...!" she trailed off, crying harder.

"Calm down, it's alright, we're here," he said soothingly, gently prying her arms off him. She sniffed, looking up at him as tears continued to slide down her cheeks. He knelt down at her level, brushing some of her hair out of her face. "We're going to take you back to your mom, but you gotta stop crying, okay?" he asked. She nodded, wiping her hand across her eyes as she hiccupped. Relieved that she had complied so easily, the swordsman turned back to his ally. "Vincent, what happened? I heard a lot of gunfire."

The sharpshooter reverted back to his human form, half turning to look at the blonde. Without a word, his eyes closed and he collapsed.

Cloud lunged forward, catching his friend before he hit the ground. His eyes widened as he noticed the amount of blood staining the earth at the ex-Turk's feet. He turned his arm to look at his bangle, cursing softly as he realized he hadn't thought to bring any restore materia with him. Having defeated Sephiroth, he didn't think any creature roaming the plains could do him much harm. He had neglected to consider that someone else might need to he healed.

Raising his fingers to his lips, he let out a piercing whistle. It wasn't long before two chocobos could be seen running across the grasslands, heading towards their master. Cloud called Shadow over to him, the black chocobo immediately kneeling down for him to mount. He gently set Vincent on her back. He turned in time to see Kishi reach up a stroke Choco's neck. The bird warked in surprise, hastily back-peddling from the frosty child. _It seems she's too cold- the chocobos won't let her touch them. Then, how am I suppose to get all three of us back?_ the blonde wondered.

He briefly pondered the situation before he came up with a possible solution. _It's worth a shot,_ he thought, drawing his sword and laying it on the ground. Calling the little girl over, he knelt down and had her climb into the harness, sitting on the strap the held his weapon in place. She wrapped her legs around his waist, her small hands holding onto his shoulders. He picked up his sword, mounting the black chocobo behind Vincent and holding the limp gunman to his chest with his free hand. "Let's go, Shadow," he said, using his legs to hold on to the giant bird as she stood, craning her head around to look at him questioningly, as if asking where he wanted her to go. "Run to Nibelheim."

It wasn't long before the swordsman was shivering violently, trying to regain some of the heat lost to the frigid little girl of his back. The places she was touching him burned, feeling like thousands of needles were being repeatedly jabbed into his flesh- one of the first signs of frostbite. He suspected that if she had been touching his bare skin, it would already be frozen.

His mind began to wander, making it increasingly difficult to focus on anything other than the cold seeping into his bones. He tightened his grip around the sharpshooter, arms encircling his chest to ensure he didn't accidentally slip off. Distractedly, the blonde realized he had dropped his sword somewhere along the way, as it was no longer in his hand. He didn't dare allow his mind to dwell on that though, concentrating only on getting Vincent back to the town.

His back was completely numb now, as well as his stomach where Kishi's legs were. The icy feeling had spread throughout his body, reaching all the way to his fingertips as well as his toes. His eyelids were becoming heavy, but he fought to stay awake. He couldn't rest just yet. Warning bells were going off in the back of his mind, but it took too much effort to try and figure out why, so he simply ignored them.

After what felt like an eternity, the town came into view. Cloud let himself relax slightly, idly noting that he was no longer shivering. He breathed a sigh of relief, his breath barely misting in the warm air.

Shadow ran up the streets, stopping in the middle of town. Having received no other instructions, she knelt down to allow her master to dismount.

"Cloud, you found her!" Ikuyo exclaimed, hurrying over to them.

The swordsman watched her go behind him, wondering what the woman was doing. _Oh yeah...little girl..._ he realized as she stepped away, holding Kishi in her arms.

"Cloud! Are you all right? What happened to Vincent?" another voice asked.

The blonde shifted his eyes back to the other side, recognizing Tsuki running towards them. "...injured..." he whispered, his tongue stumbling over the surprisingly difficult word. He would have been shocked at the amount of effort it took to say one word, but he was far beyond the point of caring by now. He just knew that he that he didn't have enough energy do it again.

The woman rushed to his side, catching the gunman as he slid from Cloud's weak grasp. Her eyes widened as she saw the red smear down her arm from where she had touched the ex-Turk's chest. "Oh my goodness! Skye, help me get him to the clinic!"

The swordsman watched, his eyelids drooping as Tsuki gently pulled Vincent off the chocobo. Knowing his friend would be taken care of, the blonde finally allowed himself to relax, closing his eyes as his consciousness slipped away. He didn't even feel himself falling as he slid limply from Shadow's back. His mother screamed his name as he fell, her cries landing on deaf ears.

"CLOUD!"

. . .

**To Be Continued**

**Author's Note**: New chapters will be posted on Mondays.

Also, if you would like a reply to your review, please leave a signed review or an email address. Thank you.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I own nothing of importance.

**Chapter 6**

Vincent awoke to the startling sensation of something cold being drawn across his skin. He flinched reflexively and the freezing object was immediately removed. Slowly, he opened his eyes, trying to get his bearings. A clear blue gaze met his own, the icy woman standing at his side.

"I must say, your body is quite extraordinary," Tsuki commented, gesturing to his chest. "Ten bullets shot at close range and an hour or two later the wounds have closed all by themselves."

A hazy recollection of what happened came back to the ex-Turk and he looked down, noticing for the first time that both his cape and shirt were missing. The entry points of the bullets were visible on his bare chest and although the wounds had indeed closed, he could tell they still had a ways to go before the internal damage was completely repaired. _Looks like I won't be fully healed until tomorrow,_ he thought, laying his head back on the pillow.

"Truly incredible," she continued. "At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised in the least if you end up without a single scar."

The gunman remained silent, closing his eyes wearily. Chaos' healing abilities were indeed remarkable, but left Vincent quite drained. "Please-don't," he said, stiffening involuntarily as the icy hand ran across his skin again.

"Oh, so you can speak," Tsuki teased, chuckling lightly. "I'm sorry, I just find it amazing that you healed so quickly. Never before have I seen anything like it. I just can't help but wonder how your body became so resilient. It is not natural, that is for certain."

The sharpshooter sighed softly. "As Cloud said yesterday, not all experiments alter outward appearance," he replied quietly.

"But, your body was altered."

Vincent raised an eyebrow. "Is that not the very nature of an experiment? Start out with one thing and try to improve upon or change it into something else entirely just to see what happens?" he asked, his voice bitter.

"I suppose," Tsuki replied. "But you don't always keep this appearance, do you?"

"Why do you ask that?"

The woman shrugged. "Oh, just something Ikuyo said. Kishi had a very interesting story to tell."

"Kishi?" Vincent paused, trying to place the familiar name. "The little girl. Is she alright?" he asked.

"Yes, she's fine. Cloud brought the two of you back to town. She was the only one of the three of you that didn't need medical attention..."

"Medical attention? What happen to Cloud?" the ex-Turk asked, grimacing as he tried to sit up.

Tsuki pushed him back down. "Astounding healing abilities or not, you were injured pretty badly, so you need to stay lying down. I'm not going to let you overexert yourself when there is nothing you can do about the situation, anyway. Cloud carried Kishi to town on his back and is now suffering from severe hypothermia. I think we've got him stabilized, but he hasn't woken up yet."

"Where is he?"

"He's in the next room," she replied, pointing to a door. "Don't worry, Skye is taking good care of him."

Vincent nodded, allowing his gaze to shift to the ceiling. Neither of them spoke, both lost in their own thoughts. The dark-haired man was beginning to drift off to sleep again when Tsuki's voice brought him back to full consciousness.

"You're very similar to us, aren't you?" she asked.

"What?"

"Ikuyo told me. Kishi saw you change into a winged creature," the woman said.

The gunner closed his eyes, bringing up the memory. _Yes, the child was there. She was standing behind me..._

"The experiments changed you into that, didn't they?"

The ex-Turk nodded slowly, keeping his eyes closed.

"Please, tell me- will we ever be normal again? Will our bodies gradually change back over time? Or, is there something we can do to reverse what has been done to us?" Tsuki asked, her voice full of hope.

Vincent slowly shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't tell you that," he said softly.

"Why not?"

The sharpshooter opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling once more. "Because I do not know the answer. We are not as similar as you think. We were experimented on by the same man, but the end results were quite different," he stated, closing his eyes as an old memory rose involuntarily, playing itself out in his mind. It was the first time he had ever transformed- it was the first time he had ever truly gone berserk, lost in a killing rage, all logical thought completely gone. It was part of the reason he had so many sins to atone for. "You merely gained a different form. I became a monster."

. . .

Awareness gradually returned to Cloud, the first thing he noticed being the heat. It was making his face uncomfortably warm, as well as practically searing his lungs with each breath. Opening his eyes, and waiting a few seconds for them to adjust to the light, he found out why. He was lying next to a fire, so close that he was practically in it. Feeling too tired to move away at the moment, he settled for turning his head to the other side. This led to the discovery of his mother on the floor next to him, lying as close to him as she could be without actually touching him. Her head was cradled in one arm, her steady breaths frosting in the warm room as she slept.

"She's been watching over you all night- just fell asleep about half an hour ago."

The blonde looked towards the voice, locating Vincent. The gunman was sitting in a chair next to the wall, his naked arms folded across his bare chest. Cloud blinked, looking a little surprised.

"They took my things while I was unconscious and won't return them until I've been cleared to leave," the gunman explained, noting the swordsman's eyes lingering on his left arm. The ex-Turk raised the limb, studying the too-pale skin. He couldn't even remember the last time he had taken off the gauntlet, wearing the golden claw like a warning to people to keep their distance. He was not completely human, possibly not even human at all by this point, and he disliked hiding the monster under this façade. The fleshy limb looked foreign to him, like he was staring at an arm that was not his own.

"Vincent?"

The sharpshooter shook his head slightly, dispelling his thoughts and folding his arms again.

Cloud didn't seem to notice as he squirmed inside the cocoon of blankets that had been securely wrapped around him. He was positively hot now. He wiggled a bit, struggling to free his arms, but the blankets were wrapped too tightly. He took semi deep breaths, fighting to control the rising claustrophobia the threatened to consume him. "Could you help me get out of these blankets?" he asked, trying to keep the panicked tone from his voice.

Vincent didn't say a word, his expression neutral as he pulled the blonde out of the thick layers, helping him too his feet. The swordsman grimaced, each movement sending shooting pains across his back, his aching muscles incredibly sore. He faced the fire, finding that his back was extremely sensitive to the heat, and backed away carefully, so as to not trip over any unseen objects. He quickly discovered that each shoulder, as well as a thick line across his stomach was hypersensitive to the high temperature, as well. When he had distanced himself from the fire, he looked down, noticing that his shirt was also missing. Bandages were wrapped snuggly around his upper body, covering one or more wounds that he did not remember receiving. Seeing no blood staining the cloth, he removed the binding, revealing an angry red patch of skin on each shoulder as well as across his abdomen. He craned his neck over his shoulder, noting that what he could see of his back was red as well. It took him a moment to figure out why. "Frostbite," he said slowly, remembering the cold little girl he carried on his back, her legs encircling his waist while her hands held on to his shoulders.

"Yes," the ex-Turk agreed, moving over to stand near the blonde. "You seem to be healing quite nicely, thanks to the Jenova cells inside of you. From what I understand, your skin was completely frozen when you were brought here. Now, it looks as though you will make a full recovery."

"Well, what about you? I seem to vaguely recall you trying your hardest to bleed to death when I found you," Cloud stated, looking at Vincent carefully. "Are you all right?"

The dark-haired man unfolded his arms, revealing the unmarred skin on his torso. "You found me in a coffin that I had not moved from in over two decades. No food, no water, not even any air to breathe. I am not sure that I am capable of dying," he replied, his crimson eyes holding the younger man's mako blue gaze. A sound caught their attention, causing both men to turn back to the fire.

Skye sat up, rubbing her eyes. She stared blearily at the pile of blankets her son had been lying in. It took her a few seconds to realize that he was not there. "Cloud? Cloud!" she cried, scrambling to her feet.

"I'm right here, mom," he replied.

She spun around, her shoulders sagging in relief when she spotted him. "You're awake!" she exclaimed. "How do you feel?"

"I'm all right," the blonde replied, scratching the back of his head.

"You had me worried there for awhile, son," she said, walking over to him. She resisted the urge to huge him tightly, settling for cupping her hand to his cheek instead.

The swordsman leaned into the caress, jumping as something familiar flashed across his mind.

Skye withdrew her hand quickly, as if she had been burned. _I can't even tough my son,_ she thought, blinking her eyes to fight back the tears. "I'm sorry, I didn-" her voice broke off as her son grabbed her wrist, his eyes becoming distant as his attention was focused inward.

"I don't believe it..." the blonde whispered. He looked down at his arm, checking to make sure his bangle had been removed. "Vincent, you gotta feel this," he said, holding his mother's hand out to the gunman.

Raising an eyebrow, the ex-Turk accepted the offered hand. His eyes narrowed almost immediately, meeting Cloud's gaze. "This is impossible," he stated.

"Would one of you kindly tell me what you are talking about? What's impossible?" Skye asked.

"It's like I'm holding a master magic and a master summon in my hand," the swordsman breathed.

"What on earth are you two talking about?"

"Best magic spells, rare summons, all at master levels-" the blonde broke off, looking up into his mother's glowing, blue gaze. "Mom, you're materia."

. . .

"Okay, try it again."

Skye sighed, closing her eyes in concentration. She tried to focus her energies, directing them towards a flower swaying gently in the breeze. "Fire!" she cried, trying to cast the spell. She opened her eyes, shoulders slumping. The blossom wasn't even singed. "Cloud, I just can't do it."

Now that he knew his mother had the power at her disposal, the blonde had been trying to teach her how to access it. He and Vincent had been released from the clinic that morning and, upon discovering his weapon was missing, the swordsman set out to find it. Seeing this as an ideal time to practice, he had brought Skye along, as well. They had been out searching for several hours already and she wasn't progressing as much as he had hoped. "You can too, mom. The magic is there- you just have to learn to tap into it," he said encouragingly.

"But I don't even know what I'm trying to tap into!"

Cloud sighed. It was almost impossible to explain what materia felt like in your mind. _It was so much easier when I was learning this- all I had to do was equip and un-equip the materia to feel the difference. But, mom can't really do that, since she IS the materia... How can I help her figure it out?_ "It's just... You can feel it in your mind. All the spells and summons are there, and each has a very distinctive feel to it, so you can tell it apart from all the rest. You just have to find it. It's like...power thrumming in your mind. You can feel the magic inside you. Once you find that, all you have to do is redirect its course," he explained.

The blue woman shook her head. "You make it sound so easy..."

"It is," he replied as they continued walking. "Once you know what you are looking for, you'll wonder how you ever could have missed it. It'll be like second nature to you."

There was a soft growl, the only warning before a wolf jumped out of the grass, leaping towards the swordsman's unprotected back. Cloud spun around, the materia on his bangle glowing brightly as he cast a spell. The wolf froze mid-air, its entire body paralyzed.

"I can't believe there are so many Nibel wolves out today. I've lost track of how many we've encountered so far," the blonde said, shaking his head. "Oh well, I suppose this works just as well. Try casting ice."

Skye groaned, wearily closing her eyes as she tried again. "Ice!" She peeked one eye open. Nothing. "I just can't do it, Cloud. There is no point in me learning magic, anyway."

"Yes, there is," the blonde argued. "Fighting monsters on the plains or in the mountains aside, you need to learn this for self-defense. Yesterday, those men Vincent ran into were trying to take Kishi to sell her. If word gets out, people will be coming to capture or even kill you and all the other villagers. Collectors would probably love to have you in their collections. I may not always be here to protect you, so you need to learn to protect yourself. Try it again."

The woman closed her eyes again, trying to find whatever power her son said could be felt in her mind. She took a deep breath, quieting her thoughts in the hopes that whatever magic might be present would be easier to find.

"Ice 2!"

Her concentration was shattered by her son's cry, her eyes snapping open. She was surprised to see huge ice crystals exploding outward, the wolf encased inside them at the base. They disappeared after a few seconds and the wolf fell to the ground, turning to red mist and dissipating on the breeze. Skye looked at the blonde questioningly.

"Sorry about that," he said, scratching the back on his head. "You were taking too long and the stop spell wore off. I would have cast it again, but it was jumping towards you and I didn't want to take the chance that it would miss. Hey, look at that!" Cloud walked over, heading towards something shining in the tall grass. He pushed the plants aside, revealing the Ultima Weapon lying on the ground, the sunlight glinting off the blade. "My sword!"

"Oh, good, you found it. Let's go home now," Skye said, heading back towards to village. The blonde hurried after her, checking to make sure all the materia was still there before slipping the giant sword back in its harness.

. . .

**To Be Continued**

**Author's Note**: New chapters will be posted on Mondays.

Also, if you would like a reply to your review, please leave a signed review or an email address. Thank you.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I own nothing of importance.

**Chapter 7**

The sun was high in the sky by the time Cloud and his mother made it back to the town. The blue woman went back to her house while the swordsman headed towards the old ShinRa mansion to see how Vincent's research was coming. He dispatched the monsters he encountered with ease, finding the gunman bent over a book in the basement. "So? Have you found anything?"

The ex-Turk set the tome down, the chair creaking ominously as he leaned back in it. "These are all the reports made that pertain to the reactor," he said, gesturing to heaping piles of books covering the desk. He rubbed his eyes wearily. "I've gone through about a fourth of it so far, but haven't found anything of use."

"Hm." Cloud picked up one of the volumes, skimming through it. He paused after a minute or two, looking up at the dark-haired man. "These reports were made two years ago, but it doesn't say anything about people being experimented on in the reactor."

"No," Vincent agreed. "None of them do. Apparently, this was a secret experiment, even within the company. You have to read between the lines to glean any useful information."

The blonde sighed, sitting down on the floor and leaning his back against the desk as he continued looking through the reports. "This is going to take forever."

The gunman remained silent, the slight crinkle of paper as he turned a page his only reply.

The hours seemed to drag on as the two men poured over the books. Cloud closed another volume, setting on the growing pile at his side with the others he'd already looked through. He stood, his spine cracking as he stretched. He rubbed his neck, looking ruefully at the only chair in the lab, which happened to be occupied by Vincent. The dark-haired man grunted, causing the blonde to raise an eyebrow. "You found something?" he asked.

The gunman didn't look up, his gloved finger running down the page as his eyes skimmed the information within. "They discovered that different types of materia can be created depending on the method used to freeze and condense the mako energy," he said.

"Different methods?"

"Yes, such as condensing and freezing the energy quickly or condensing it gradually and then freezing it quickly. This causes variations in how the mako reacts to the process, thus creating different types of materia," the ex-Turk explained.

"So, they could create any materia they wanted?" the swordsman asked, sitting on the edge of the desk.

Vincent continued reading the report. "Essentially, yes. However, the results were unpredictable. For example, they could create a summon materia, but they couldn't control which summon it would be. After more experimentation, a correlation was discovered between the amount of time took to create and the power of the materia. The more mako energy that was put into it, the higher the level of the spell." He paused, brow furrowing as his eyes raced across the page. "They discovered that if the process was uninterrupted, it took about two years to create a master materia."

"What?" Cloud exclaimed. "ShinRa knew how to create master materia?"

"Apparently. It was not mass-produced and distributed to the army because experimentation was not finished. Hojo discovered, that if done so during the creation process, materia could be merged. He began an eight year project to create the ultimate materia." Vincent snorted, slamming the book shut. "That was five years ago. The only thing he didn't tell ShinRa was that it wasn't strictly mako energy and materia in those pods. He was once again trying to construct the ultimate solider, seeing if he could produce someone that had every single materia spell in existence at his or her disposal. As if creating Sephiroth wasn't bad enough."

"So that's why mom has every magic spell and every summon. I'll bet the rest of the villagers do, too, if that's the case," the blonde said, folding his arms across his chest.

"Yes. They started out with magic materia the first two years, summon the following two years and were in the middle of support materia when the reactor was shut down. Hojo was planning to follow that with command materia. I'm not sure why, but independent materia wasn't going to be part of this project," the ex-Turk said.

Both men were silent, each lost in his own thoughts. A familiar roar echoed through the basement, the sound muffled by the door of the laboratory, but still easily recognizable. The fighters looked at each other in confusion before hurrying towards the source of the noise.

. . .

Skye looked out the window, watching as the sun sank below the horizon. _What could he possibly be doing in there?_ she wondered, her eyes drifting to the old mansion at the edge of town. She glanced at the table, plates and utensils set out for two. _It's late and dinner's getting cold. I suppose I'll have to go get him._ She exited her house, walking up the street towards the abandoned building. The gate creaked as she pushed it aside, rusty hinges protesting the movement. A sense of curiosity came over her as she drew near the door. She had never seen the inside of the mansion before. She entered the building, her steps slow as she looked around.

She was standing in a large foyer, a darkened glass chandelier hanging from the ceiling. There were two open rooms adjacent to the threshold, as well as three doors leading from it, presumably to other rooms. A curved staircase led to a balcony hallway on the second floor. Although she could tell this place must have been lovely when it was new, it had now fallen into a state of disrepair. There were holes in the walls, cracked or completely shattered glass in the windows, furniture lying in pieces in the adjacent rooms and the railing on the staircase was broken in several places. Cobwebs had been spun in abundance and a thin layer of dust had settled over everything. What must have at one time been a glorious establishment was now a decrepit old building.

Skye noticed a several sets of footprints left in the dust, leading up the staircase to the second floor. Knowing they have must have belonged to Cloud and Vincent, she followed them, the wooden stairs protesting under her weight. The hallway balcony split, going in opposite directions. She looked down the hall, seeing a room at the end that seemed to be full of plants. The tracks, however, led her down the other way. She continued down the path, deciding that any exploration could be done later. She turned into a room, noticing the furniture in here was still intact, when she heard the soft _clinking_ of metal on metal behind her. Pausing mid-step, she slowly turned around to see what was making the noise.

A chain hung down from the roof, swaying from side to side with a creature resembling a man holding onto it. He had long blonde hair that moved across his bare back as he swung back and forth. A white mask was covering his face, glowing red eyes shining through the slits. His lower half was made up of a curved blade resembling that of an axe with his body connected to it where the haft would be. He didn't say a word.

Suddenly, he swung forward, turning his body so that the sharp edge would hit Skye. The blue woman leapt to the side, barely avoiding the blade and scrambling back out of range. The ghirofelgo stared at her before letting go of the chain and dropping to the ground. She watched in horror as he moved across the floor with startling speed, using his arms to pull himself forward.

Skye darted through another doorway, finding herself standing in a bedroom. The tracks she'd been following in the dust ended at a solid brick wall. There was no other way out of the room. Frantically, she beat on the granite blocks, trying to get the secret door to open. She felt one of the stones give, the entire section of the wall sliding back abruptly. She almost fell through the new opening, barely pausing to see what was inside. A sloped wooden path spiraled down what looked like an old brick well. She could see light at the bottom. Whatever hesitation she might have had disappeared as the creature entered the room, eyes glowing more brightly as it pulled itself towards her. Without a second thought, she ran down, the wood groaning ominously beneath the pounding of her feet.

The blue woman reached the bottom, the piercing shriek of steel scraping across stone indicating the ghirofelgo hadn't given up his prey so easily. Before her lay a tunnel dimly lit by a faint purple glow that seemed to come from the earth forming the walls and ceiling. There was no dust or tracks to be followed down here and the air was permeated by the stench of death and decay. Not sure what lie ahead of her, but knowing what was behind, she strode down the tunnel at a brisk pace. Her steps faltered when the path branched, a doorway to her left leading to somewhere unknown while the passageway continued on straight for about twenty more feet and ended in another door. She hesitated, not sure which door she should choose.

Her choice was made for her as a creature stepped out of the darkness, blocking the path straight ahead of her, but too close to the door to the left for her to safely escape through it. The creature was tall and had a human-like appearance, staggering almost drunkenly as it walked towards her. Obscenely long arms hung down, nearly dragging on the floor as it moved. Its ribs were clearly visible beneath the partial breastplate it wore, two heads sitting atop its shoulders. Its skin was ashen and the smell of a rotting corpse grew stronger as it approached. Skye couldn't help but wonder if this was some sort of un-dead monster.

Eye's transfixed on the thing in front of her, she slowly backed away. The two-headed creature didn't seem like it was going to let her leave, stepping towards her even as she retreated. Turning, she ran back the way she had come, stopping short about halfway through the tunnel. The ghirofelgo was lying at the bottom of the wooden path, not making any move to enter the underground passage, but effectively cutting off her only means of escape. Slow, scraping footsteps made her turn back around, watching the thing practically drag itself towards her. She sank back against the wall, wrapping her arms around herself.

_I-I'm going to die,_ she thought, squeezing her eyes shut against the tears that threatened to fall. _I never thought it would end like this..._ She shook her head, fighting down the insane urge to laugh. _Skye Strife, eaten by monsters in the basement of the old ShinRa mansion._ She paused, her thoughts echoing in her mind. _Die in the ShinRa mansion?_ she repeated internally, anger rising within her and melting away her fear. _No. I may die, but it will not be here!_ Fiery determination burning in her eyes, she glared back at the creature slowly making its way towards her. _An undead beast, is it? Fire is what they use to destroy such monsters in the movies, so let's see if it works in real life. Cloud said I have the power and I believe him. Now, I just have to find it._

Skye took a deep breath, closing her eyes as she once again searched her mind for the magic her son knew was there. She took a different approach then she had earlier, feeling for something hot, something that burned. The advancing steps echoed loudly in her ears, her determination turning to desperation. _I need FIRE!_ she shouted internally. Something responded to her mental plea, flaring within her mind. She latched on to it, feeling the magic pulsing within it. Focusing all of her will on the energy, she took control of it, forcing it from her body and hopefully at her opponent. She fell to her hands and knees, suddenly feeling exhausted. Wearily, she raised her head to see if she had been successful, the small movement almost taking more effort than it was worth.

The two-headed creature stopped, seeming to sense something behind it. A crater formed in the floor, a monster bursting up through it. He had a human appearance with the exception of the massive horns protruding from his temples, curving over his head and down his back. A mane of dark purple hair flowed backwards between the horns, the same colored fur covering his shins and the tops of his feet. A loincloth hung about his waist and a glowing red diamond was visible in the center of his muscular chest. He roared, baring his fangs as he hovered in mid air, looking down on his prey. Eyes glowing brightly, he opened his mouth again, flames seeming to pour out of it. In a few seconds, he was completely encased within ball of fire. He sped forward, burning everything in his path before he disappeared, returning back to the realm from which he was summoned.

Skye was cringing, waiting for the fire to engulf her, as well. When nothing happened, she slowly opened her eyes, noting the strange red glow was gone. The two-headed creature was lying on the floor and the ghirofelgo was dissipating into red mist. She marveled at how the fiery beast could have attacked the monsters on either side of her while she didn't feel so much as a warm breeze. Her musings were cut short as the two-headed creature rose to its feet, one of the heads and an arm, along with half of the chest disappearing. It remained standing as it fell backwards at the waist, bending almost completely in half before slowly pulling itself back up.

"Yang's excited," a raspy voice whispered, the creature's blue eyes shining as it stared at her.

Skye held onto the rocks in the wall, trying to pull herself up. Her efforts were in vain, her legs refusing to support her weight. Frantically, she tried to find another spell in her mind, knowing she was too weak to have any hope of escaping. _Fire was no good, but ice might work,_ she thought, looking for the now recognizable feel of magic within her. There was nothing.

She looked up as Yang raised its arm, preparing to cast a spell on her. A large blade came down, cleaving through the head and body like a hot knife through butter. The monster turned into red mist and disappeared, Cloud standing behind it. His eyes widened as they landed on his mother's form. "Mom? What happened to you?" he asked, rushing to her side. "You're red!"

Skye looked down at her arms, staring in disbelief. _How could I have missed that?_ she wondered, gazing at her crimson limbs.

"She is summon materia," Vincent said, walking silently towards the pair. "Summon materia is red."

"Yeah, but she was blue before," the blonde argued. "Why would she change colors now?" he continued, reaching down to help her up. He flinched, quickly withdrawing his arm as his bare skin brushed against her. "And instead of freezing, she is now burning. I'm not sure if this is an improvement or not."

"Support materia is not made up of spells that can be cast at will- it is always active. That is probably why she and all of the other villagers are blue. I believe that she changed to summon materia when she summoned Ifrit. She should fade back to blue in a few minutes," the ex-Turk theorized.

Skye was still kneeling on the floor, too tired to follow the conversation. She looked up as a vial was pressed into her hand, her son's blue eyes meeting her own ruby orbs.

"Drink it," he said. "It'll help."

She did as she was instructed, feeling a bit of her strength return. "What is this?" she asked, looking at the empty bottle curiously.

"An ether," Cloud said, helping her to her feet. He quickly released her, shaking his hand to cool down the now uncomfortably warm glove he was wearing. "It restores some of your magic without you having to wait for it to come back naturally. I have some turbo ethers back at the house, but I didn't think I would need to bring any with me. What were you doing down here, anyway?"

"Well, I came to get you, of course. Do you realize how late it is? What were you doing?" she asked.

"Research," Vincent answered.

"Research? Where?" the red woman asked.

"There's a laboratory down the hall," the swordsman explained, nodding down the passage.

"A laboratory..." she repeated softly. Her eyes looked past the fighters, landing on the door that stood slightly ajar at the end of the tunnel, dim light spilling out of the room. Almost as if she were in a trance, she walked past Cloud and Vincent, heading for the laboratory.

"Mom?"

"I want to see it," she replied, her eyes not leaving the door. "I want to see where Akikazu and Okitsugu and the others were taken."

"The others..." Cloud's sentence trailed off. He knew exactly who she was referring to. _The twelve that were led to the mansion for the Jenova Reunion Project._ He followed his mother, listening to Vincent's footsteps going in the other direction as he made his way out of the mansion.

. . .

**To Be Continued**

**Author's Note**: New chapters will be posted on Mondays.

Also, if you would like a reply to your review, please leave a signed review or an email address. Thank you.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I own nothing of importance.

**Chapter 8**

Skye reached the door, pushing it the rest of the way open. It squeaked in protest, but swung inward nonetheless. She stepped into the room, looking at the shelves filled with books lining the walls, a cluttered desk in the center. Her gaze was drawn to two human-sized glass beakers along the far wall and she moved over to them. A metal plate with the information regarding the previous occupant was bolted to the glass, signifying this had been a long-term experiment. She read the plates, wondering what they could mean. _Specimen A, code Z and specimen B, code C? What does that mean?_ Scratches on the glass drew her attention and she leaned closer, trying to decipher the marks. _ 'Let's get out of here...' _ She looked at the second beaker, noticing something had been etched in the glass there, as well. _ 'Feeding time- that's our chance.'_ She blinked, her gaze alternating between the two containers. _Was this where everyone was kept? But, surely they couldn't hold twelve people in these two beakers. Then, who was kept here? And, what happened to the others?_ She straightened up, confused eyes shifting to her son.

Cloud was still standing on the other side of the room, his face turned away as he waited for her to finish. He wouldn't look at the glass beakers. Comprehension dawned on her as she glanced back at the metal plates, re-reading the labels. _Code Z and code C. Zack and Cloud! They managed to escape and headed for Midgar. This is where my son was held for five years?_ she wondered, running her hand along the smooth glass.

She closed her eyes, picturing Cloud inside the beaker, his yells muffled by the thick glass as he pounded on it in a vain attempt to get out. She quickly shook her head to dispel the image, blinking her eyes rapidly against the sudden tears and withdrawing her hand as if it had been burned. _How could I have forgotten that Cloud was brought here, too? And unlike me, he remembers what happened in here...everything that was done to him..._ She bit her lip, her shoulders shaking as she tried to control the turbulent emotions building inside of her. "I'm sorry, Cloud- I shouldn't have asked you to come here," she said softly, her head bowed. Her voice quivered slightly.

If the blonde was startled by her figuring out this was where he was experimented on, he didn't show it. "I'm fine," he said, waving his hand negligently. "Besides, you didn't ask me to come."

_No, but you only came to protect me from any stray monsters,_ she thought, turning away from the beaker. She sighed, exhaustion settling over her from the emotional roller coaster this trip through the mansion had turned into. She suddenly wanted to be anywhere but there. The monsters, using summon magic, the discovery of her son's cell- she couldn't take any more. "Let's go, Cloud," she said quietly, her feet dragging as she moved towards the door. She paused at the entrance, resting her head against the doorframe as she fought the urge to cry, her hair falling forward and hiding her face. "Let's just go home."

The swordsman walked up behind her, resting his hand on her shoulder. Her entire body was fading from red to purple, the heat no more than very warm as it slowly made the transition back to freezing. "It's okay, mom," he said, turning her towards him. He cupped her chin, moving her head so he could look into her eyes. "It's okay."

Skye shook her head, closing her eyes as the first tears fell. She collapsed against her son's chest, clinging to him like a lifeline as she cried harder, the dam holding back her emotions shattering. Cloud held her tightly, stroking her hair soothingly and whispering assurances that everything was all right.

Eventually the woman calmed, all her emotions completely spent. She felt utterly drained from the outburst and the events leading to it. Noticing her son had begun to shiver, she released him and stepped back, looking down to find that she was fully blue again.

"Are you all right now?" the blonde asked, watching her carefully.

"Yes, I'm all right now. Sorry for falling apart like that."

He shook his head. "Don't apologize," he said.

Skye sighed. "Let's just go. I don't want to stay here any longer. Let's go home," she repeated. Cloud nodded, leading the way as they left the mansion.

. . .

**The long corridor seemed to stretch on forever. It was dark and damp, the sound of water dripping seeming to echo off of the cold, stone walls. A lone person moved down the hallway, her shoes ringing loudly against the cobblestones. Skye walked through the eerie tunnel, drawn towards whatever was at the end. A feeling of foreboding grew within her chest, but she was unable to halt her course or turn around. Her feet simply would not obey her.**

**After what seemed like an eternity, she came to a stop in front of a large wooden door. She hesitated, not sure whether she wanted to know what was behind it, when the door slowly slid open of its own accord. She blinked, her eyes taking a few seconds to adjust to the light.**

**The woman found herself standing in a laboratory, various human experiments being performed all around her. Her eyes darted from one to the next, seeing people chained to the wall, tied down on tabletops and kept in iron cages. Most of them appeared to be unconscious, although screams could be heard coming from an adjacent room. A man wearing a long, white lab coat walked out of the room, the shrieks of pain dying behind him. He had long brown hair that was pulled back in a low ponytail. The test subjects -those still aware of what was around them- tried to pull away from him as he passed by. His face was hidden in shadow as he shook his head, muttering to himself.**

**"It's no good- I need to run more experiments! I need more subjects!" He paused, seeming to notice that he had a visitor. "And, just who might you be? A new specimen, perhaps?" he asked, his voice a little too eager as he moved towards her.**

**Skye turned and fled back down the tunnel, not turning back to see if he was following her. She spotted a door she hadn't seen before and ran through it, quickly slamming it behind her. She leaned against it, taking a moment to catch her breath. The smell of burning wood caught her attention and she opened her eyes, realizing she was standing in an alley. A bright orange glow lit the night sky and she hurried out to the street. She paused, wide eyes taking in the sight around her. _This can't be happening..._ she thought, watching as the town went up in flames. People were running all around her, fleeing the village or trying to help others who had been stuck. The roar of the fire wasn't quite loud enough to drown out the screams of terror and pain, although one sound caught her attention above the noisy din. One familiar voice crying out in fear.**

**She turned her head, seeing two figures standing further down the street. All other sound seemed to fade away, time almost coming to a stop as she saw the same man in the lab coat, his soft words easily reaching her ears.**

**"Yes, I think I can use you for my next experiment..." he said, reaching forward.**

**A small boy was backed up against the wall, his blonde hair standing up in messy spikes. His large blue eyes were fearful as he stared the man in front of him. The child tried to run, but the scientist snagged his arm, easily hefting the struggling boy off the ground. The blonde yelled as the man began to carry him away. "Mom, help!"**

**Skye was already running forward, frantically pushing her way past the other townspeople. The street grew crowded very quickly, everyone heading the opposite way. "No, Cloud!" she cried, watching as her son's captor drew further ahead of her.**

**"Mom, help me!" the boy screamed, reaching his hand out to her. "Mom!"**

**"Cloud- CLOUD!" she practically shrieked as both her son and his captor disappeared into the living throng. Viciously shoving people out of her way, she made it to the place she had last seen them. Another door loomed in front of her, dark and foreboding. She didn't hesitate, throwing it open and rushing inside. Her heart skipped a beat in her chest as she found herself back in the laboratory, although this time she was alone. All of the test subjects that had been there previously were gone, their restraints hanging loosely on the wall and tables. Fighting down her rising fear, she walked towards the doorway leading into the other room.**

**The area was surprisingly empty, one large glass beaker the only item in the room. She ran forward, recognizing the figure lying in the bottom of it. "Cloud!" she cried, looking down on the prone form of her son. His adolescent body barely fit in the container, his knees bent up against the glass. He was dressed in a ShinRa uniform, the shirt soaked in his blood from the sword wound in his stomach. He didn't move.**

**Skye screamed his name repeatedly, beating on the glass in the hopes of getting some sort of response to assure her he was still alive.**

**"I'm afraid he can't hear you," a voice said behind her.**

**She spun, glaring angrily at the scientist now standing behind her. "What have you done to him?"**

**"Me? Why, I didn't do anything. I'm merely taking advantage of the situation," the man replied, moving over to an instrument panel connected to the beaker.**

**"Let him go! He's badly injured- he needs medical attention!" Skye pleaded.**

**The man snorted. "He's already beyond that. In fact, you should be thanking me," he said, flipping a switch on the panel.**

**A light blue smoke began to fill the beaker. The blonde writhed in agony as it touched his body, his mouth open as if he was screaming, but no sound could be heard. His eyes shot open, the pain-filled blue gaze landing on his mother.**

**"You're killing him!" Skye screamed, tears sliding down her cheeks as she rushed to the instrument panel, intent on stopping whatever was happening.**

**The scientist blocked her path. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. This equipment is very delicate and very dangerous. You may end up causing him more harm if you don't know what you are doing." He smirked triumphantly when she stopped short. "This treatment may even save his life."**

**The woman glanced back at her son, torn over what she should do. She saw he had raised one shaking hand to the wall of his prison, struggling to keep the limb steady enough to trace a message. His finger smeared his blood across the glass as he focused all of his energy on this one small task. His hand fell back to the floor, leaving a streak of red down the glass as his eyes closed. His head fell limply to the side, all of his energy expended on writing the note.**

**_Please- help me!_**

Skye sat up, her eyes darting around her. The house was dark in the pre-dawn gloom, but she recognized the familiar surroundings. She was lying in her bed, her son still asleep in the bed next to her. _It was just a dream,_ she thought, bringing one shaking hand up to cover her eyes, willing her racing heartbeat to slow. _It was just a dream._

She swung her legs over the edge of the mattress, slowly pushing herself to her feet. She pulled her robe on over her nightclothes, wrapping the material tightly around herself, as if to ward off the pervasive chill left by the nightmare. Not wanting to wake the blonde, she moved over to the window, resting her head against the glass as she looked down the street. All of the houses were dark except for the inn, one solitary light shining through one of the second story windows. The sky was getting lighter on the horizon as sunrise approached. The town was quiet, even the birds still asleep in their nests.

The tranquil scene did nothing to calm Skye's mind, her restless gaze drawn to the mansion at the edge of the village. _That man,_ she thought, picturing the scientist that had plagued her dream. _He was the one in charge of the experiments. Cloud didn't say what happened to him, but I doubt he's the type to just walk away and disappear. I wonder if he will come back? If he does..._ her thought trailed off, eyes hardening as she imagined how the meeting between them would go. It certainly wouldn't be a pretty sight, especially if he showed up after she had mastered her new powers.

She sighed, shaking her head slightly as she unclenched her fist, resting her fingers on the windowsill. _If anyone has a right to revenge, it would be Cloud. After all, I don't remember what was done to me. I don't know what it was like, sitting in a glass cage day after day, not knowing what horrible procedures were going to take place today. Or, perhaps being exposed to whatever substance continuously in an ongoing experiment, never knowing when, or even if, it was ever going to end. Oh, my poor boy,_ she thought, turning her head to gaze at her son. _Does he haunt your dreams, as well? Do you see his face leering just on the other side of the glass? Or, have you learned to overcome your past and move on with your life? You've always kept your emotions to yourself, not letting others see inside. Are you really okay, like you say you are, or are you just trying to reassure me by telling me what I want to hear?_

In her mind, she saw her son being carried into the mansion on a stretcher, the scientist leading the group into the old building. The scene switched to her son lying in the bottom of the glass beaker, unresponsive as his blood pooled underneath him. Noticing how very still the blonde was, she quickly crossed the room, knowing it was an irrational fear, but needing to make sure he was all right nonetheless. She breathed a sigh of relief as the covers moved with the slight rise and fall of his chest. Shaking her head at how silly she was being, she watched him for a few moments, noting how guarded his expression was, even in sleep.

Cupping her hand, she held it near his cheek, wanting to gently stroke his skin, but careful not to touch him. He unconsciously turned his head away from the cold object, burrowing deeper into the warm blankets. Skye quickly withdrew her hand, gazing sadly at her son. _He is so near me, yet still so far away._ She closed her eyes, fighting back the tears before resuming her place at the window.

. . .

**To Be Continued**

**Author's Note**: New chapters will be posted on Mondays.

Also, if you would like a reply to your review, please leave a signed review or an email address. Thank you.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I own nothing of importance.

**Chapter 9**

Cloud blearily opened his eyes, squinting as his sensitized orbs adjusted to the light. The first rays of the rising sun shone in through the window, shining straight into the blonde's face. He sat up, yawning, before sliding out of bed, shivering slightly now that his blankets were no longer keeping him warm. Feeling a bit groggy, he stumbled over to the sink, the tile floor icy beneath his feet. Turning on the water, he cupped his hands and splashed it on his face, his body tensing involuntarily as the cold liquid touched his skin. Feeling much more awake and alert, the swordsman dried his face with a towel. He turned as he heard the door open, his mother entering the house with an armful of firewood.

"Oh, you're awake," Skye said, stacking the pieces of wood next to the fireplace. "I'm still not used to you being up so early without my having to drag you out of bed. If you'll build a fire, I'll get breakfast started."

Cloud did as he was told and it was only a matter of minutes before he had a roaring fire going. He stood near the blaze, enjoying the heat produced by the flame. He reluctantly left the fireplace when his mother informed him breakfast was ready. Sitting down at the table, he accepted the bowl she handed him, their fingers brushing against each other. The blonde blinked as a sudden thought occurred to him.

"Doesn't the fire bother you, mom? I mean, you're literally freezing. I would think that the heat would be uncomfortable, at the very least," he said.

Skye shook her head. "Changes in temperature no longer affect me. I noticed that when I stayed with you while you were recovering from hypothermia. Tsuki was also worried about me staying in the heat then, but even though I could feel how hot the room was, it didn't bother me," she explained, shrugging.

"Hm." Cloud put a spoonful of hot cereal into his mouth, absorbing that little tidbit of information. _So, not only do they have an entire arsenal of magic spells and summons at their disposal, they are immune to hot and cold temperatures, as well. It seems that Hojo came dangerously close to creating the ultimate solider for ShinRa,_ he thought, staring down into his bowl. _I'm just glad we were able to stop him before it got any further. However, I know there are others like him in the world. If they were to find out what happened here, they may try to pick up where he left off..._

Breakfast continued in silence, both lost in their own thoughts.

"So, I thought you could help me practice my magic today, seeing as I finally managed to cast a spell last night," Skye said after a few minutes.

Cloud looked a little surprised. "Uh, sure, I guess we could do that..."

"What's the matter? Did you have other plans for the day?" she asked.

"Well, I was going to head up Mt. Nibel-"

"Good! I'll go with you and I can practice along the way. Does that sound alright?"

"I guess so..." the blonde said, looking at his mother oddly. This is kind of a sudden change. _Yesterday, she thought it was a futile endeavor, but today she wants to get better at it. I suppose having your life threatened by a monster might do that, but..._ He shrugged, finishing his cereal.

They left after breakfast, heading up the familiar mountain trail. "What spell should I try to cast?" Skye asked.

"Let's wait until we're a little farther away from the town first," Cloud replied. _That way, if something goes wrong, we won't accidentally set the town on fire or anything._ His mother shrugged, following him up the narrow path. After a few more minutes, the swordsman glanced towards the village. "Okay, I think we're far enough. So, last night you called Ifrit, a fire elemental. Can you feel the difference between the spells and summons?" he asked.

The blue woman was silent, focusing on the magic in her mind. "Yes, I think so," she replied.

"Okay. Next, you need to be able to distinguish between the actual spells themselves- fire, ice, lightning, poison, etc. The same goes for the summons. The summon that feels like ice is Shiva, the one that feels like lightning is Ramuh, and so on. But, for right now, just focus on figuring out which spell is which," he said. He stopped walking, pointing to a lone tree sticking out of the mountainside. "Decide what spell you want to use and then try to find it in your mind. When you think you have it, try casting it on that tree."

Skye closed her eyes, mentally sorting through the variety of spells at her disposal. She chose one, feeling the magic leave her body as she cast it. Opening her eyes, she saw a sphere of black light form, seeming to make the tree shrink within it. It dissipated, the plant springing back to full size, although a number of its branches were now littering the ground. She frowned.

"What were you trying to cast?" the blonde asked, raising an eyebrow as he noticed she had turned green. Curious, he reached out, resting his hand on her shoulder.

"Well, I know which one is fire and I'm pretty sure I know which ones are ice and lightning, so I was trying for an earth elemental spell, but I don't think that was it," she said, staring at the tree. When her son didn't say anything, she turned her head to look at him. He had his eyes half closed and he looked completely relaxed, as if he didn't have a care in the world. "Cloud?" she asked, a little concerned at the abrupt change in behavior. He wasn't that at ease when he was in the safety of the village, much less in the middle of the mountains with dangerous monsters roaming around.

He opened his eyes, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he looked at her. "I'm sorry, mother- I wasn't listening. What did you say?" he asked.

She stared at her son, not believing how different he looked. His eyes were no longer shadowed with sorrow and guilt, his gaze bright and clear, as if all of his worries had been taken from him.

"Are you alright?" she asked, not sure what had caused the sudden change in the blonde.

"Yes, I'm fine. But if it bothers you…" He took his hand off her shoulder, letting it fall back down to his side. The effect was instantaneous, his eyes taking on a somewhat haunted look as the tension filled his body again. His shoulders almost seemed to slump as the weight of unseen burdens were heaped upon him once more and Skye couldn't believe how tired he now looked in contrast.

"What's happening to you?" she asked, confusion and alarm being the most prominent expressions on her face.

He waved his hand negligently. "Nothing to be concerned about," he replied. Seeing that that wasn't going to be explanation enough, he continued. "First off, it's not me- it's you."

"What?"

"In case you hadn't noticed, you're green."

The woman looked down at herself, surprised showing on her features. "And, you had your hand on my shoulder…" she said slowly, comprehension dawning on her. "But, what happened?"

Cloud shrugged. "I was curious as to what would happen if I touched you when you were green. While the other two have physical sensations- burning or freezing -this was a bit different. I'm not exactly sure how to describe it," he stated, scratching the back of his head. "I guess it's like…calming. When I put my hand on your shoulder, it was like a feeling of peace settled over me. Everything I had been worrying about seemed to slip away- not like the problems were gone, but like I knew that it was all going to work out all right. I could relax."

"Oh," Skye said, feeling a little guilty for taking that away, especially when he seemed to need it so desperately. "I'm sorry, I was just worried, that's all. Would you like to…?" She let the sentence trail off, offering her hand to him.

The swordsman glanced at the proffered limb, an odd emotion on his face before he shook his head. "No, we have other things that we need to be focusing on right now, and that is a bit distracting."

The woman lowered her hand, recognizing the expression and reading in between the lines. _That guilt and sadness you carry- you feel you should not be parted from it. Is this some form of retribution? Are you trying to atone for something you did? Oh, my poor son… How much have you suffered in the long years we've been apart?_

"So, what spell did you try to cast?" he repeated, changing the subject.

"Huh? Oh, uh- Earth," she said, belatedly remembering the reason she was out here with her son in the first place.

"Hm. You cast Demi, which is a gravity-based attack."

"Oh. Yes, that makes sense now. So, that would mean..." She trailed off, closing her eyes again as she cast another spell. Several large pillars of rock burst from the tree's base, splintering the trunk. After a few seconds, the stone faded away, leaving a pile of woodchips too small to be used for firewood. Skye was bent over, leaning her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath.

"That was Quake 3," Cloud said, pulling a turbo ether from his bag and handing it to his mother.

She accepted the bottle, drinking it in one shot. Feeling her magic return, she looked at her son questioningly. "Quake 3?"

The swordsman nodded. "There are different levels of spells. For example, Ice 2 is more powerful than Ice 1, and Ice 3 is stronger still. The higher the level of the spell, the more energy it takes to cast. You'll be able to tell the difference between the levels with practice," he explained.

She nodded, absently handing the empty bottle back. Cloud accepted it, staring at what was left of the tree. Nodding his approval, he turned and continued up the trail, his mother following behind him.

Under her son's instruction, Skye continued practicing as they walked, casting spells on rocks and the occasional monster that crossed their path. She was pleased that her magic seemed to be improving, the energy becoming easier to find in her mind the more she called upon it. She was also starting to distinguish between the different levels of spell, as well as the different types. She was quite pleased with her progress when Cloud stopped walking ahead of her. Looking up, a pit of fear formed in her stomach as she realized where they were. A long rope bridge stretched out before them, linking the cliff they were standing on to the next mountain over. The tops of the reactor could be seen through the spikes of rock around it. Looking back at her son, Skye suddenly realized she didn't know why he had wanted to come up Mt. Nibel. Firmly pushing down the fear the sight of the reactor had instilled in her, she looked at her son curiously. She started when she realized his normally blue eyes were as red as Vincent's.

Before she could say anything about the change, the blonde stretched his arms out, his head lowered as if he was concentrating, words being uttered beneath his breath too soft for her to understand. In response, a giant resembling a man broke out of the ground at the base of the other mountain, pushing boulder-sized rocks and chunks of earth off of himself like one would brush away dirt. The titan looked at the mountain in front of him before reaching down and seizing the bottom, muscles straining as he pulled up at least half of the mountainside. Skye caught a glimpse of what looked like a network of tunnels within the mountain before the giant slammed the rock down on the top half of the peak, collapsing whatever passage that had run through there in on itself. When the dust settled, only half of the mountain remained.

Skye realized the creature had disappeared without her even noticing, so transfixed had she been on the mountain. She turned back to her son, noting that his eyes were mako blue once more. _Interesting. His eyes were red when he was summoning, but now they are back to normal. I wonder if his eyes change when he casts magic, just as my body does? Although, the change doesn't seem to last nearly as long for him,_ she thought. "What were you trying to do?" she asked, her gaze wandering back to the reactor that remained untouched by the chaos.

"I blocked the most accessible path through the mountains," he replied. "It is not used often, but after the incident with Kishi, I think it's better to be safe than sorry."

"I see. That's probably a good idea. What was the summon you used?"

"Titan. Earth elemental."

"Ah. I thought it was an earth-type, but I did not know the name. Hm, allow me to try summoning something," she said, closing her eyes. She searched through her mind, feeling all the different types of creatures waiting to be called. She thought she had identified most of them, but there were still a few that she wasn't sure about. Three stood out in her mind, feeling so similar to one another that they might be levels 1, 2 and 3 of the same summon. And though she could tell they were all strong, they were not an elemental of any kind. Not wanting to wear herself out, she chose the lowest level, mimicking her son's actions as she called upon the creature.

Dark clouds seemed to roll in, covering the sky ominously. They swirled together, a hole forming in the center as something dived through it, plummeting towards the earth. The dragon flared its wings, halting its decent. It seemed content to hover in mid-air, great wings flapping slowly to keep it afloat as it waited for further instructions from the summoner.

Skye looked at the reactor that had ruined so many lives, her emotions raging within her as the name of the attack came to her mind. "Megaflare," she whispered.

The dragon opened its mouth, gathering energy for the attack. When it had amassed enough, it snapped its mouth closed, sending the ball of energy hurtling towards the reactor. It hit the building, the blinding light forcing both Cloud and Skye to cover their eyes. It did not stop at one explosion however, the deafening roar of the blasts filling their ears as Bahamut's attack started a chain reaction within the reactor itself. The shockwave knocked them off their feet, the swordsman quickly casting Shield, in case any stray debris came their way. The earth seemed to tremble underneath them as the destruction raged around them, the magic screen around them keeping them safe. It took a few minutes for the explosions to quiet down, gradually becoming less frequent until they stopped altogether. The blonde slowly lowered his arms, pulling himself to his feet as the barrier protecting them fading away. He let out a low whistle as the smoke began to clear and he could see the damage done.

The weathered bridge that had previously connected the two peaks was unable to withstand the explosions, a few smoldering ropes all that remained. The ground all around them was scorched, thin tendrils of smoke still rising from the rock. The reactor itself had been completely obliterated, taking a good chunk of the remaining mountain with it. Cloud shook his head, turning to look at his now red mother. Skye had also stood, a stunned expression on her face as she stared at the damage she had done.

"You chose your summon well," he commented. "Are you alright? Do you need an Ether?"

"No, I'm fine," she replied faintly, wide eyes scarcely believing what she was seeing. _This one summon was able to do all this damage? What would have happened if I had called one of the other two? If this is the type of power that ShinRa had at their disposal, it is no wonder that no one ever challenged them..._ she thought.

They stood in silence for a few minutes more, staring at the ruined mountain before the blonde spoke. "Well, you seem to pretty much have gotten the hang of it," he said. A wry grin found its way onto his features as he turned to her. "So, do you feel better now?"

Skye couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corners of her lips. "Actually, I do. I know it is pointless to strike out at a company that has already been broken apart, but there is an odd sort of satisfaction to be gained from blowing up one of their reactors all the same," she replied.

Cloud nodded, an understanding look on his face. "Well, should we head back?"

The woman looked once more at the smoking crater that had previously been the reactor. _With this power, no one will be able to threaten the village again,_ she thought, already making plans to teach the others. "Yes, let's go."

. . .

The next few days were spent giving materia lessons. Skye seemed to have become quite the expert and Cloud was content to sit in and listen to her try to explain to Tsuki and Ikuyo how to recognize and access the magic within them. Having had the same problems they were having, Skye was able to describe what they were looking for better than her son and they were both casting minor spells by the third day.

The group was just outside of town, not far enough into the mountains to be considered a dangerous area, but far enough away from the village to safely practice casting spells. All the children were with them, eagerly watching as their mothers created a flame that melted a rock or froze a branch on a tree. Although the kids found it fascinating now, the blonde was sure that they would remember their mother calling down a bolt of lightning to strike the ground the next time she had to discipline them. Thinking of the bargaining chip that magic could become for Ikuyo and Tsuki, the swordsman was suddenly glad that his mother didn't have these abilities when he was growing up.

"Wonderful!" Skye said. "I think you two have finally gotten the hang of it!"

"It's just like you said," Tsuki replied. "Once you find the magic in your mind, you can't believe that you could have ever missed it!"

"Mommy, can I do magic, too?"

"When you're older. I don't need you accidentally burning down the house!" Ikuyo told the little boy. He looked a little disappointed.

"Well, I think we've been gone long enough. Now that you two are comfortable with it, I think I'm going to try to teach Masaki, Jiro and Kiyotaka," Skye replied.

"Oh, I'm not too sure that's a good idea," Ikuyo said.

"Why not?"

"Masaki and Jiro would be fine," Tsuki added, "but I don't think Kiyotaka should learn how to use magic."

"Yes, he's a bit too rash, always rushing into things and acting before he thinks. I think he would get into a lot of trouble that way," Ikuyo agreed.

"Hm, perhaps you're right. He's had a bit more trouble adjusting to the changes than the rest of us," Skye agreed. "Perhaps it would be best to hold off on teaching him, at least until he's settled down a bit."

Cloud was silent, remembering Jiro's conversation with him several days previous. He wondered if Kiyotaka's perpetually angry attitude stemmed from him thinking that he had lost a certain brown-haired martial artist when the town was destroyed. His train of thought was interrupted when a familiar howl of pain caught his attention. Without a word, he was on his feet and running back towards the town, his mother's surprised voice calling out after him.

. . .

**To Be Continued**

**Author's Note:** New chapters will be posted on Mondays.

Also, if you would like a reply to your review, please leave a signed review or an email address. Thank you.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I own nothing of importance.

**Chapter 10**

Jiro set his hammer aside, running a hand across his brow more out of habit than from any physical discomfort from the heat of the forge. He stepped outside, leaning against the side of the building, closing his eyes as a gentle breeze pulled at his hair. _I need to have Tsuki give me a haircut. It's much too long for my liking,_ he thought, taking out the hair tie before gathering all the strands that had pulled loose and tying them all back again.

He stood there for a few minutes more, listening to the quiet. _The children are gone. I wonder if Tsuki and Ikuyo took them out of town for a picnic or something? If so, I hope Cloud or Vincent is with them. I can't believe how many more monsters there are roaming the plains nowadays..._ His thought trailed off, his gaze wandering to the open fields down the road. A splash of color caught his attention, and he squinted his eyes, trying to make out what it was. Blue orbs widening, he stepped back into the forge, reemerging with a spear. He moved to the entrance of the town, waiting for the monster to approach.

A lion-like creature ran across the plain, his fur red in color with a flame on the tip of his tail. Several feathers adorned his mane, as well as a gold bracelet just above each paw. Scars could be seen on his legs, showing black through the fiery coat, as well as one running through his right eye. He slowed to a lope and then a walk as he neared the village, finally coming to a stop several feet in front of the blue man. He sniffed the air, curious.

"Go on! Shoo! Go back to the plains! The village isn't for you!" Jiro yelled, brandishing his lance as he tried to make the odd beast leave.

Red XIII raised an eyebrow. _He seems to be human, although he smells strongly of materia. Where in the world did he come from?_ he wondered. He cleared his throat, ignoring the spear being poked at him for the moment. "I will be happy to 'go back to the plains' when I finish my business here," he said.

Jiro's eyes widened. "You, you can talk?" he asked, incredulous.

"Yes, I can talk," Nanaki replied, resisting the temptation to roll his eye. Although he should have been used to it by now, that reaction was getting old.

The icy being paused. "What business do you have here?" he asked a little suspiciously.

"I'm looking for a man," the feline stated.

"Why do you think he's here?" the blue man asked.

"Because this is the town he was staying in when I first met him. And there was an incident several days ago with two other men that I believe he was involved in."

Jiro clutched his spear more tightly, holding it in a ready position. "Are you friends of those men?" he asked.

"As a matter of fact, no. I am from Cosmo Canyon, and they came through a few days ago with a rather..._interesting_, story to tell. I came to see if Vincent Valentine was here and possibly involved in the incident or, if he wasn't, to see if I could find any 'demons' roaming the plains, threatening to steal people's souls," the lion-like creature explained, his tone showing what he thought about the ludicrous story. "Vincent was a traveling companion of mine a short time ago, and I thought the men may have mistaken him for a 'demon,' if the circumstances were right."

The blue male smiled slightly, remembering what Ikuyo had told him about Kishi's description of what had happened. _Sounds like Vincent is their demon alright,_ he thought. "Vincent has been staying in the village for the past week or so. I'm not sure where he is right now, but I can help you fi-" Jiro was cut off as the beast howled suddenly, his body jerking reflexively to the side as an arrow lodged itself into his right hind leg.

Kiyotaka cursed, ducking back behind the building as he loaded another bolt into the crossbow. _Piece of junk! That should have pierced his heart! How could anyone possibly sell such useless weapons?_ he thought, leaning around the corner and taking aim again. The crossbow was suddenly taken from his hands. Startled, he glanced up, looking into Vincent's expressionless, crimson orbs. Without a word, the sharpshooter walked past the kneeling man.

Jiro held his spear out in front of him, unsure of how the lion-like creature would react to being attacked. A sound made him glance to the side, relaxing slightly when he saw the familiar profile of the gunman.

Red XIII noticed him, too. "I've never known you to use a crossbow," he ground out between clenched teeth, flinching as he moved his hind leg.

"You've never known me to miss, either," the ex-Turk replied, calmly walking up to the lion-like creature. He knelt down next to the injured limb, setting the weapon down on the ground beside him. "Lie down and hold still."

Although he lay down obediently, a low growl rumbled in Nanaki's throat as the bolt was pulled from his flesh. A hand on his back warned him against trying to stand just yet.

Vincent placed his hand on the wound, heedless of the blood staining the glove as he closed his eyes. A soft, green light circled around the feline before it converged on the wound, mending the damaged tissue. He stood, stepping back.

The lion-like creature also rose to his feet, his leg feeling sore, but not unusable. He turned, following the gunman into town. "I thought you might be here," he stated.

"I was beginning to wonder if you were going to come," the black-haired man replied. "I thought you'd be here sooner than this."

"Yes, I can see the welcoming party was all ready for me."

The ex-Turk shrugged. "They are suspicious of outsiders and have good reason to be. I have actually been watching for you; but, as I said, I thought you'd be here sooner. When you didn't come, I thought they might not have said anything about the incident."

"I would have been here sooner, but I was delayed. I'm just glad you have cure materia with you. I gave all my materia back to Cloud," the feline stated.

As if summoned by his name, the blonde appeared, running into town from the opposite direction. "Red XIII! Vincent!" he called, stopping when he reached them. "What happened?" he asked, slightly out of breath. "I heard howling."

"Red XIII was shot with a crossbow bolt," the gunman explained.

"Shot? By who?" the swordsman asked. The sharpshooter looked pointedly past Cloud, towards one of the buildings.

The blue man was standing in the shadows, confusion and anger warring on his face. _Try to kill the monster coming into town and I'm still in the wrong. I just can't do anything right, can I?_ he thought, turning away. _If Jiro wasn't fighting the beast, why was he holding his spear like he was about to skewer it?_ he thought angrily.

The blonde took a step towards him. "Kiyotaka..."

"I don't need a lecture, Cloud! Least of all, from you!" the blue man yelled, disappearing between the houses.

"I'll go talk to him, Cloud. I think he was just trying to help me," Jiro explained, heading after his friend.

Nanaki watched the exchange impassively. "So, there is more than one. What are they, exactly?" he asked, after Jiro was out of sight.

"Cloud!"

All three of them looked up as Skye ran towards them. "Cloud, is everything alright? You took off so suddenly!"

The swordsman scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, everything's fine. Sorry to worry you, mom."

"'Mom?'" the feline questioned. "Cloud, I thought you said that your mother-"

"Oh, it can talk!"

"Why don't we discuss this inside?"

Everyone looked up at the new voice, seeing Masaki walking towards them. "After all, it's been a while since we've had a guardian of Cosmo Canyon come through here. I'm sure he's tired from his journey," he stated. "We can discuss this at the inn." Shrugging, the group followed him inside. He led them up the stairs and into one of the guest rooms, seating himself at a large table. Cloud opted for the bed, sitting on the mattress and leaning against the bedpost. Nanaki sat near him on the floor and Vincent leaned against the wall just inside the doorway, his arms folded across his chest. Looking a little unsure, Skye sat next to her son on the bed.

"So, what brings you to our small village?" Masaki asked, directing his question to the feline. He didn't seem bothered by the fact that no one had joined him at the table.

Red XIII looked at him, the feathers in his mane swinging gently as he turned his head. "Two men came through Cosmo Canyon last week with a rather dubious story. I came to investigate," he explained. He shifted his gaze to the sharpshooter. "They claimed that they had run across a demon on the plains, a fiend that could not be injured by bullets and tried to devour their souls. I am relieved to see you uninjured, but I would very much like to hear the actual version of what took place."

Vincent looked up, meeting the feline's eyes. "One of the children wandered out of town. Those two men found her and were, from what I heard of their conversation, planning on selling her to Dio for a small fortune. I intervened."

"And they tried to stop you with their guns, at which point you changed to your Chaos form," the lion-like creature finished. The ex-Turk inclined his head slightly. Nanaki looked over the sharpshooter carefully. "How many bullets?"

The dark-haired man was silent for a moment before replying. "Ten."

Skye looked back and forth between Red XIII and Vincent, confusion showing clearly across her face. _Vincent mistaken for a demon? Chaos form? Ten bullets? Does that mean he was shot ten times?_ she wondered incredulous. _How could he have survived? How could he have healed that quickly? How could I have missed all of this? I know I was a bit preoccupied with Cloud, but..._ her thought trailed off.

The feline looked surprised at the admission, as well. "Ten?" he repeated, staring openly at the gunman. "And you are not only alive, but already fully healed?"

"You shouldn't be so surprised. You are familiar with Chaos' healing abilities," the ex-Turk replied softly.

"Cloud," Skye said, getting her son's attention. She was definitely feeling out of the loop during this conversation. "What is 'chaos?'" she asked.

"Chaos?" the blonde repeated. "Well, um, it's kinda hard to explain..."

"Chaos," the gunman started, everyone's attention focusing on him, "is the destroyer of life."

"'Destroyer of life?'" Skye repeated. "How can that be? You recovered from multiple shots in less than a day!"

"This extraordinary healing ability is within me- it is not something I can share with others. Chaos is immortal. As its host, I don't believe my body can die," he explained.

"Host? You mean, chaos is like a parasite, or something?"

Vincent chuckled, humorlessly. "Or something."

"But, how? How did you come to have something like that inside you?" the woman asked.

The ex-Turk met and held her gaze, crimson eyes staring into blue. "Hojo had many on-going experiments, long before he set his sights on the inhabitants of this town."

Nanaki's ears perked up slightly. "The inhabitants of this town? So, everyone here is a former resident of Nibelheim? And Hojo is the one responsible for this..."

"Yeah," Cloud replied. "When Sephiroth lost it and burned the town, ShinRa gathered up all the survivors and gave Hojo his pick. They killed all but twenty-four of them," he said, his voice hard.

"So, there's only twenty-four people left in the town? Difficult to be self-sufficient with such low numbers," the lion-like creature pointed out.

The blonde snorted. "There's only twelve left, half of them children. The other twelve were used for the Jenova Project," he said darkly.

"You mean, the men in black capes?" Red XIII asked. The swordsman nodded.

"You're right, we're not self-sufficient," Masaki said, speaking up from the table. "But, back before the reactor was built, we used to trade with Cosmo Canyon. Would you be interested in doing so again?"

"I do not foresee the Elders having any problems with establishing trade again. What did you have in mind?" the feline asked.

"That's a good question," the innkeeper said, leaning back in his chair. "Pelts aren't in high demand anymore, and I'm too old to be out trapping, anyway. We have one blacksmith among us that can make fine weapons just like his father, but I don't think he should have to provide for the town alone. Skye, do you have any ideas of what we could trade?" he asked.

The woman looked a little startled to be suddenly brought into the conversation. "Well, Tsuki is a good mechanic, but the only vehicle in town in that old truck, and that hasn't ran in years." She stared at the wall pensively. "I worked at the weapons shop for a while a few years back. I suppose I could make some bangles out of dragon hide," she said slowly. A grin spread across her face. "I can even get my own dragon, now."

"Mom, please don't try to take down a dragon by yourself just yet. And, uh, don't use any fire-based attacks," he cautioned, giving Vincent a sidelong glance. The sharpshooter either didn't notice or chose to ignore the blonde.

"Very well, I shall bring this up with the Elders. Of course, there is still the issue of protection, to make sure there isn't a repeat of the incident with the little girl," the feline stated.

Skye smiled. "I don't think that will be a problem in the future."

At Red XIII's questioning look, Cloud elaborated. "Basically, everyone here is materia. They have every defensive and offensive spell, as well as the summons, available to them. And now, three of them know how call upon the magic. A few more days, and I imagine they all will."

"Materia? But, how?"

"Hojo was creating materia in the reactor. He was trying to create more 'ultimate soldiers' by making the materia an actual part of a person. In this, at least, he seems to have been successful," the swordsman explained.

The lion-like creature shook his head. "That man just did not know when to stop..." He stood, his tail swishing behind him. "Well, now that everything has been resolved, I need to be getting back. I will return in a few days time to inform you of the decision of the Elders. I do not believe they will turn down your proposal."

Skye watched the feline leave, Masaki and Vincent following him out the door before she turned to look at her son. "So, he is a friend of yours?" she asked.

"Yeah. I met up with him in Midgar, and we happened to be going in the same direction, so we traveled together for a little while," he said evasively.

"What's his name?"

Cloud blinked. "I guess I never introduced you guys, huh?" he said, scratching the back of his head. "He is Nanaki, son of Seto, but we call him Red XIII."

"Nanaki," she repeated, memorizing the name. "Well, I suppose I should get busy. Making bangles isn't exactly easy or fast work. Are you ready to teach me how to take down a dragon?"

. . .

Cloud sat in the shade, listening to the voices through the wall. Although he couldn't understand what was being said, he knew Masaki was discussing the idea of trade with the other villagers. Not really being able to contribute, he opted to skip the meeting. He blinked as a familiar noise caught his attention, reaching down and pulling his phone from his pocket. Flipping the top up, he looked at the screen before placing it to his ear.

"Hey, Tifa," he said, keeping his voice neutral.

"Hi, Cloud. Um, is everything alright?" the voice asked on the other end.

"Yeah, everything's fine," the blonde replied.

"Oh. You've been gone so long and you didn't call, so I thought that something might've happened."

"No, not really. I've just been delayed, is all. A few things came up, and there were some other things that I needed to take care of, too," he said, nonchalant.

"Things to take care of?"

"Yeah. I thought Zack's parents should know what happened to their son."

"Oh. I'm sorry. I was just worried about you, is all," she said.

"I'm fine. Sorry I didn't call sooner," he apologized.

"That's alright. I'll forgive you as long as you keep your promise. I don't want you coming back _after_ the bar has been rebuilt!" she said, jokingly.

Cloud chuckled. "No, I'll be back to help with the reconstruction," he assured her.

"When?"

He hesitated, thinking about his answer. "Soon," he said at length, looking at the ground.

There was a long pause. "Are you coming back?"

"Yes. I'm just not sure when. There are still a few things that I have to take care of," he replied evasively.

Another long pause. "Alright then," she replied, sounding a little disappointed. "I guess, I'll see you when you get back."

"Bye, Tifa."

"Goodbye."

Cloud shut his phone, sighing as he stuck it back in his pocket. He jumped as an unexpected voice interrupted his thoughts.

"So, my son does have someone waiting for him."

The blonde looked up at his mother. "How long have you been standing there?" he asked, wondering how he could have missed her approach.

"Long enough. So, the mayor's daughter managed to escape? That is who you were talking to, isn't it?" Skye asked. The swordsman nodded and the blue woman smiled. "You were always trying to get her attention when you were little. Now, she's waiting for your return and you're dilly-dallying around here."

Cloud blinked. "What do you mean by that?"

She sat down next to him on the bench, leaning her head back against the wall. "I won't deny that I was relieved beyond measure to see you again, alive and well. I have greatly enjoyed having you here this past week, and everything that has come from that. But, someone is waiting for you. And I taught you better than to keep a lady waiting."

"But, mom-" he began.

"No arguments. We can take care of ourselves here. Jiro thinks he can have several of the weapons ready to sell in a few days time and Kiyotaka is going to help him out around the forge. The rest of us are going to make bangles until we can figure out something else to trade. We'll be fine," she assured him.

He hesitated. "Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes." She stood, pulling him to his feet as well. "Besides, if something does happen, Vincent will still be here."

The blonde nodded. "Alright. Then, I think it's time I head back."

They walked back to her house and she fixed him something to take on the road while he gathered up his few belongings. Zipping the bag closed, he slung the pack over his shoulder before turning to his mother. She was staring at him, tears shining in her eyes, a paper bag all but forgotten in her hands. "Mom? Are you okay?" he asked, taking a step towards her.

"Yes, yes I'm fine," she said. "Standing there with your bag over your shoulder just reminded me of when you left to join SOLIDER. You didn't take much with you then, either." She wiped a hand across her eyes. "But, now's not the time to get all emotional. You were just a boy back then, but you've grown into a fine a young man."

"I can stay for a few more days. Tifa wouldn't mind-"

"No, no. I'll be fine. Goodness, most teenagers can't wait to get out of their parent's house when they turn eighteen and here you are at twenty-one! I practically have to push you out the door!" she said, smiling as she handed him the paper bag. "Here's a little something for the road."

They walked to the edge of the town. Cloud raised his fingers to his lips and let out a piercing whistle. It wasn't long before two chocobos could be seen running towards him across the plains. He turned back to his mother, not sure what to say.

"Oh, don't worry about us," Skye said. "We'll be fine."

"I know," he replied. "It's just, well, I thought you were dead for so long. Even now, it feels like if I leave..." He trailed off, his eyes conveying what his voice could not.

The icy woman put her arms around him, hugging him tightly as he returned the embrace. "Don't worry, I'm not going to disappear without your constant supervision." She pulled back, tilting his chin up and looking into his eyes. "And you had better keep in touch this time," she said sternly. "And not just phone calls, either. I want you to come and visit.

The swordsman smiled, nodding his head. "Yes, I'll do that. You have no idea how much I regretted not doing so before."

The two chocobos came to a stop in front of the pair, both looking at Cloud. The blonde stepped forward, stroking Shadow's neck. "Sorry, girl. You're staying here with Vincent." He turned to Choco, slipping the bridle on his beak. The gold chocobo immediately sat down, waiting for the swordsman to mount before standing up again.

Cloud looked at his mother, who had stepped back to give him room to maneuver on the chocobo. He raised his hand in farewell and she returned the gesture. Pulling on the reins, he turned the large bird and headed out across the plains.

Skye watched him go, his form becoming smaller as the distance between them grew. "Be safe, my son," she whispered as he disappeared from sight. She stood there for a moment before shaking herself. "Well, that's enough of that. Cloud can take care of himself and those bangles aren't going to make themselves." Her head held high and her stride unfaltering, she turned and walked back into the town.

. . .

**The End**

**Author's Note**: Any new stories will be posted on Mondays, too.

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